Luke Paolantonio1, Soo Young Kim1, Julia Ramirez1, Nicole Roberts-Eversley1, Yuelin Li1, Irina Melnic1, Minlun Wu1, Devika R Jutagir1, Julia Smith1, Modupe Oladele1, Francesca Gany2. 1. Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 485 Lexington Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY, 10017, USA. 2. Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities Service, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Medicine, and Department of Public Health, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA. ganyf@mskcc.org.
Abstract
PURPOSE:Food insecure cancer patients experience worse health outcomes and poorer quality of life than food secure patients. There has been little research in programs to alleviate food insecurity in cancer patients. The objective of this paper is to report on the food purchasing behaviors of cancer patients enrolled in a supplemental food voucher program. METHODS: This paper utilized data from a three-arm randomized controlled trial investigating the impact of food interventions on alleviating food insecurity in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. In one arm, patients received a monthly $230 voucher with which to purchase food. Receipts were collected for items purchased with the voucher and were coded to analyze purchasing behaviors. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients provided receipts for more than 11,000 individual items. Patients spent 50% of voucher funds on animal protein, fruits, and vegetables. Patients spent, on average, 77% of voucher funds on items categorized as "healthy." CONCLUSIONS: Patients who received a food voucher purchased more fruits and vegetables than national averages would suggest. They also spent less on sweetened beverages than national samples. Patients who were born outside of the United States or who were limited English proficient purchased significantly more healthy foods than English-speaking and American-born study patients. Supplemental food vouchers for food insecure cancer patients resulted in the purchase of healthy food items.
RCT Entities:
PURPOSE: Food insecure cancerpatients experience worse health outcomes and poorer quality of life than food secure patients. There has been little research in programs to alleviate food insecurity in cancerpatients. The objective of this paper is to report on the food purchasing behaviors of cancerpatients enrolled in a supplemental food voucher program. METHODS: This paper utilized data from a three-arm randomized controlled trial investigating the impact of food interventions on alleviating food insecurity in cancerpatients receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. In one arm, patients received a monthly $230 voucher with which to purchase food. Receipts were collected for items purchased with the voucher and were coded to analyze purchasing behaviors. RESULTS: Thirty-three patients provided receipts for more than 11,000 individual items. Patients spent 50% of voucher funds on animal protein, fruits, and vegetables. Patients spent, on average, 77% of voucher funds on items categorized as "healthy." CONCLUSIONS:Patients who received a food voucher purchased more fruits and vegetables than national averages would suggest. They also spent less on sweetened beverages than national samples. Patients who were born outside of the United States or who were limited English proficient purchased significantly more healthy foods than English-speaking and American-born study patients. Supplemental food vouchers for food insecure cancerpatients resulted in the purchase of healthy food items.
Entities:
Keywords:
Cancer; Food insecurity; Quality of life; Supplemental nutrition
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