Food for Cancer Health Equity: The impact of a culturally tailored food voucher intervention on food insecurity among Latinx patients with cancer.

Authors

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Maria Hanna

Division of Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA

Maria Hanna , Emily Hayes Wood , Gerardo Villicana , Lesly Lopez Guzman , Kasandra Escobar , Jajaira Reynaga , Chardria Trotter , Zachary M. Koontz , Hilary K. Seligman , Manali I. Patel

Organizations

Division of Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, Pacific Cancer Care, Monterey, CA, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA

Research Funding

Stanford Cancer Institute
California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine, American Cancer Society

Background: Food insecurity disproportionately impacts immigrant, low-income, and racial and ethnic minorities with cancer. In our prior qualitative work, Latinx and multiethnic patients with food insecurity emphasized the importance of culturally-tailored food assistance interventions that could minimize stigma and maintain self-efficacy and autonomy. In collaboration with Latinx patients and community partners in Monterey County, California, we co-developed a culturally-tailored food voucher intervention. In this study, we conducted a pilot of the intervention among multiethnic and Latinx patients with cancer and tested the impact on food insecurity and health-related quality of life. Methods: We recruited low-income, racial and ethnic minority adults > 18 years of age who screened positive for food insecurity using the 2-item Hunger Vital Sign while receiving cancer treatment in a clinic in Monterey County, CA between July 2023 until August 2023. All participants who consented to participate received $40 monthly grocery store gift cards redeemable at a variety of local retailers for 6 months in addition to usual care provided by trained community health workers who assisted with other health-related social needs. We conducted validated surveys at baseline (time of enrollment) and 6-month follow-up (post-intervention) assessing demographics, food behaviors, food insecurity, and health-related quality of life, as well as feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. We compared pre- and post-intervention proportions with food insecurity using McNemars tests and change in health-related quality of life using paired t-tests. Results: Of the 30 study participants enrolled, 27 (90%) were Latinx; 24 (80%) spoke Spanish as their preferred language; 16 (53%) had advanced (stage 3 or 4) cancer; 12 (40%) were retired or unemployed; 10 (33%) were disabled; 20 (67%) reported a household income < $35,000 USD. Of the 26 (87%) participants who completed post-intervention surveys, the proportion with food insecurity decreased from 100% to 65% (95% CI 0.60-0.77; p = 0.01); 100% adhered to recommended treatment; and health-related quality of life scores increased by 8 points from 71.9 +/-16.1 to 79.5+/- 10.5 (p = 0.02) from baseline. All (100%) participants rated the program as feasible and acceptable in post-intervention surveys. Conclusions: This culturally-tailored food voucher intervention was associated with reductions in food insecurity and improvements in health-related quality of life among low-income Latinx patients with cancer. This intervention may represent an effective and acceptable approach to overcome food insecurity in Latinx and multiethnic patients with cancer.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2024 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

Poster Session B

Track

Health Care Access, Equity, and Disparities,Technology and Innovation in Quality of Care,Survivorship

Sub Track

Interventions and Policies to Optimize Health Equity

Citation

JCO Oncol Pract 20, 2024 (suppl 10; abstr 182)

DOI

10.1200/OP.2024.20.10_suppl.182

Abstract #

182

Poster Bd #

F4

Abstract Disclosures