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This study is testing a new way to support healthy eating by providing free meal kits through a food pantry. Adults who use The Open Door food pantry will receive meal kits that include fresh produce, seafood, and other ingredients, along with simple recipes and optional cooking demonstrations, over a 3-month period. The goal is to learn whether these meal kits are helpful, easy to use, and a good fit for the community. Researchers will also look at whether they help improve access to healthy foods, diet quality, and confidence with cooking. Participants will be asked to complete short surveys at the beginning and end of the study, and some may be invited to join a group discussion to share their experiences. Overall, the study aims to improve programs that connect people to healthy, locally sourced food and to inform future efforts to support nutrition and food access in the community.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medically supportive meal kits | Experimental | Participants in this single-arm pilot study will receive a nutrition-focused meal kit intervention delivered through a community food pantry. Over a 12-week period, participants will receive three meal kits per week during their regular pantry visits. Each meal kit includes fresh produce, locally sourced seafood, and pantry staple ingredients (e.g., grains, seasonings), bundled together with simple, culturally relevant recipes designed to support preparation of healthy meals at home. In addition to meal kit distribution, participants will be invited to attend optional onsite cooking demonstrations led by community partners, which provide hands-on guidance for preparing the recipes and using the provided ingredients. Participants will also complete a baseline and follow-up survey, and a subset may be invited to participate in focus groups to share feedback on their experience with the program. |
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| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medically supportive meal kits | Behavioral | Participants in this single-arm pilot study will receive a nutrition-focused meal kit intervention delivered through a community food pantry. Over a 12-week period, participants will receive three meal kits per week during their regular pantry visits. Each meal kit includes fresh produce, locally sourced seafood, and pantry staple ingredients (e.g., grains, seasonings), bundled together with simple, culturally relevant recipes designed to support preparation of healthy meals at home. In addition to meal kit distribution, participants will be invited to attend optional onsite cooking demonstrations led by community partners, which provide hands-on guidance for preparing the recipes and using the provided ingredients. Participants will also complete a baseline and follow-up survey, and a subset may be invited to participate in focus groups to share feedback on their experience with the program. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Feasibility and Acceptability of Medically Supportive Meal Kit Program | The primary outcome assesses whether providing meal kits with locally sourced seafood and produce through a food pantry is practical and well-received. This includes measures such as participation and retention rates, adherence to receiving meal kits, and participant feedback on satisfaction, ease of use, and cultural relevance of the meal kits and materials. | From enrollment to the end of the study (end of 12-weeks) |
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| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Food security | Changes in participants' ability to reliably access enough food for an active, healthy life, measured using a standardized food security survey (USDA 6-item module). | From enrollment to the end of the study (end of 12-weeks) |
| Nutrition Security |
Inclusion Criteria:
Participants must meet all of the following:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Role | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelseanna Hollis-Hansen, PhD, MPH | Contact | 469-240-9112 | niche@tufts.edu | |
| Adeline Peat, BS | Contact | 469-240-9112 | niche@tufts.edu |
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Kelseanna Hollis-Hansen, PhD, MPH | Tufts University | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tufts University (Investigator site) The Open Door (Recruitment & Intervention site) | Recruiting | Gloucester | Massachusetts | 01930 | United States |
IPD including the study protocol, informed consent form, and clinical study report will be uploaded into the Tufts Dataverse library.
Within a year of study completion
Those who create an account and request access via Tufts Dataverse
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Changes in consistent access to foods that support health and prevent disease, assessed using a brief validated screening tool (Tufts Nutrition Security Screener) focused on access to nutritious foods. |
| From enrollment to the end of the study (end of 12-weeks) |
| Cooking & Food Preparation Skills | Changes in participants' confidence and ability to prepare meals at home, including using new ingredients and following recipes, assessed through validated cooking skills measures using Lavalle et al. 2017. | From enrollment to the end of the study (end of 12-weeks) |
| Engagement in Nutrition Education | Participant exposure to and engagement with educational components, including attending cooking demonstrations and using recipes or educational materials provided with the meal kits. | From enrollment to the end of the study (end of 12-weeks) |
| Diet quality | Changes in overall dietary patterns and alignment with healthy eating recommendations, measured using a validated diet quality instrument (e.g., MINI-EAT). | From enrollment to the end of the study (end of 12-weeks) |