Kansas City researchers study intervention for food-insecure pregnant people
Led by Kelsey Gardiner, PhD, Assistant Professor, UMKC, in partnership with Nurture KC, University Health KC
Food insecurity and dietary quality during pregnancy significantly influences the health of mother and baby. FoodFarmacy, a six-month intervention project for food-insecure pregnant people in Kansas City, provided culturally specific fruits and vegetables, recipes, and nutrition education. The goal: Affect positive changes in food insecurity, diet quality, and biometric measures.
FoodFarmacy was funded, in part, by a $50,000 grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) in 2024 as part of Transforming KC: Health Outcomes Research Grants, a partnership between Blue KC and BioNexus KC.
Results
FoodFarmacy successfully supported populations typically not reached, including undocumented and Spanish-speaking people, minority groups, and people with behavioral health issues. Participants made progress on their nutrition and health goals, and the study retained 100% of its participants.
Next steps
In the short term, FoodFarmacy collaborators hope to expand and replicate the model within Kansas City and other communities serving food-insecure pregnant people, particularly those that have historically been difficult to engage in traditional nutrition programs. Building on strong participant retention and positive progress toward nutrition and health goals, the team plans to further evaluate maternal and infant health outcomes and assess the program’s scalability.
In the long term, collaborators hope the findings contribute to the base of evidence that (A) supports produce prescription programs during pregnancy; and (B) informs policy, insurance, and healthcare system investments that address food insecurity as part of routine maternal care.
