Vouchers for Improving Transplant Access to Lifestyle Nutrition - Kidney Transplant

Improving Dietary Quality and Health Outcomes: A Fruit and Vegetable Voucher Program for Kidney Transplant Patients With Food Insecurity.

This study evaluates the effect of a six-month fruit and vegetable voucher program on satisfaction, dietary quality, and health outcomes among pediatric and young adult kidney transplant recipients experiencing food insecurity.

This is a single-arm, prospective interventional study enrolling 18 participants aged 6 to 25 years who have undergone kidney transplantation and screened positive for food insecurity within the past six months.

Participants will receive monthly fruit and vegetable vouchers for six months, distributed via Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. The EBT cards, managed by an external partner, will be automatically reloaded monthly and be redeemable at participating retailers.

Data collection will include participant-reported satisfaction surveys post-intervention, food security and dietary quality assessments at baseline and study end, biophysical outcomes (BMI, blood pressure) from routine clinical care, laboratory markers related to kidney and nutritional health (serum potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, albumin, bicarbonate, fasting glucose or HbA1c, and creatinine/GFR), tacrolimus variability to serve as a proxy for medication adherence.

No extra clinical visits or lab draws beyond standard care are required. The findings aim to inform future strategies to address food insecurity in transplant populations.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age: Children and young adults aged 2 to 25 years who have received a kidney transplant.
• Food Insecurity: Patients who have screened positive for food insecurity (FI) within the past six months, based on the Hunger Vital Sign
• Patients who are currently receiving care at the transplant center and whose caregivers (if the patient is less than 18 years of age) are willing to participate in the intervention.
• Caregivers of non-adult patients

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patient being on a diet consisting of only total parenteral nutrition or tube feeds.