Utilizing the RE-AIM framework to understand adoption of nutrition policies at food pantries across the USA

Helmick, Meagan; Yaroch, Amy L.; Parks, Courtney A.; Estabrooks, Paul A.; Hill, Jennie L.

doi:10.1093/tbm/ibz036

Cited by 13 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…In both phases, the minority of pantries had a written nutrition policy at preassessment and postassessment. This is in line with prior literature indicating that a minority of food pantries have formal written policies, 26,39,40 despite their perceived value by stakeholders. 41,42 In the current study, there was an increase in the adoption of nutrition policies after the provision of technical assistance, but it was only among a handful of pantries.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Technical Assistance is Related to Improvements in the Food Pantry Consumer Nutrition Environment

Nikolaus¹,

Kownacki²,

Darvesh³

et al. 2021

Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior

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Objective: To assess changes in food pantries' consumer nutrition environment (CNE) after the provision of technical assistance. Design: Pre-post study with 2 phases. Setting: Staff completed observational assessments using the Nutrition Environment Food Pantry Assessment Tool (NEFPAT) at food pantries in an initial pilot phase. Then, staff conducted NEFPATobservations at pantries in Illinois statewide. Participants: In the pilot phase, 6 staff assessed 28 pantries. In the statewide phase, 35 staff assessed 119 pantries. Intervention: After completing an initial NEFPAT at each pantry, technical assistance was provided by staff to support changes in the pantries' CNE before another NEFPATobservation was completed. Main Outcome Measure: Changes in the CNE, as assessed with the NEFPAT, when comparing preassessment and postassessment. Analysis: Score differences were evaluated with paired t tests. Results: In the pilot phase, among 23 pantries with preassessment and postassessment data, 2 objectives on the NEFPAT observation increased significantly. In the statewide phase, among 66 pantries with preassessment and postassessment data, most NEFPAT objectives and the overall NEFPAT score (22.12 § 8.16 vs 28.20 § 7.14, P < 0.001) significantly increased. Conclusions and Implications: Technical assistance provided by Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education implementing staff were related to improvements in the CNE of food pantries in Illinois. Future work should evaluate the association of these CNE changes with changes in behavior among pantry patrons.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Technical Assistance is Related to Improvements in the Food Pantry Consumer Nutrition Environment

Nikolaus¹,

Kownacki²,

Darvesh³

et al. 2021

Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior

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“…While some research exists on policy development among food banks, the literature on policy adoption among food pantries is sparse. One study found that 21% of US pantries have a formal nutrition policy and those pantries reported fewer barriers to offering healthy foods [ 41 ]. Other research identified characteristics associated with policy adoption, such as pantry size and the proportion of food purchased [ 42 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Healthy Food Environments in Food Pantries: Lessons Learned from a Sodium Reduction Intervention

Quinn

Ortiz

Titzer³

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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In the United States, food pantries increasingly serve as regular food sources for low income households experiencing high rates of chronic disease, including hypertension. Sodium consumption is a modifiable risk factor for hypertension, so pantry customers would benefit from access to low-sodium foods. Pantry customers often experience difficulty acquiring healthy foods, however; little is known about pantry foods’ sodium content specifically. This study assesses the sodium content of pantry foods and lessons learned from an adaptable intervention to support pantries in adopting policies and environmental changes to make healthy, lower-sodium foods appealing and accessible. We conducted sodium assessments of food at 13 food pantries, tracked implementation of intervention strategies, and interviewed 10 pantry directors. More than half of food items in 11 categories met sodium standards for foods to be chosen “often”. Pantry directors reported valuing the intervention approach and implemented six of nine behavioral economics strategies, especially those targeting the visibility and convenience of foods, along with layout changes and expanded customer choice. One pantry adopted an agency-specific nutrition policy and 12 adopted a coalition-level policy. Results can inform intervention efforts to make available healthy options appealing and easy to select while also improving the customer experience in food pantries.

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“…Most implementation research in social service organizations has focused on mental health and addressing social and economic needs (e.g., employment, food security) (87). Implementation research about chronic disease prevention in these organizations has focused on tobacco control and cancer screening referral in community resource referral agencies (23,73,130); healthy eating and physical activity in home visiting programs focused on children's development (116,125); and improvement in opportunities for healthy eating through charitable food systems (57,138). These lines of diverse research suggest a growing recognition of the role these settings can play directly in preventing chronic disease and indirectly by addressing social determinants of health, as part of organizations' primary sets of services (87).…”

Section: Social Service Organizationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The particular EBPP chosen should match or be designed to align with the organization's operational characteristics, e.g., their usual interaction with individuals, their reporting and quality control mechanisms, and their financial and other reward systems. Organizations that have a shorter-term interaction with individuals, e.g., food pantries, may be better suited to deliver brief programs to individuals or implement organizational-level programs and policies to operations or structures in support of chronic disease prevention (57). Conversely, organizations that have a more frequent, long-term interaction with individuals, e.g., home visiting programs or mutual self-help programs, could feasibly deliver individual-level health interventions that are embedded into their usual programming (125).…”

Section: Social Service Organizationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expanding Implementation Research to Prevent Chronic Diseases in Community Settings

Mazzucca

Arredondo

Hoelscher

et al. 2021

Annu. Rev. Public Health

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Chronic disease prevention continues to be inadequate, overall and in achieving health equity, in spite of the many evidence-based practices and policies (EBPPs) available to address risk behaviors such as unhealthful eating, lack of physical activity, and tobacco use. Although clinical settings are needed for EBPPs that involve medical procedures such as immunization or early detection, dissemination of EBPPs can be effective in a variety of settings such as schools and childcare centers, worksites, social service organizations, and religious organizations. More implementation research is needed to meet challenges of effective application of EBPPs in such community settings, in which primary missions, capacity, cultures, and values do not focus on health services delivery. To address health equity, consideration of social and economic contexts of people reached in these settings is essential. This review presents lessons learned from past studies to guide future implementation research and practice across diverse settings and geographies. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Public Health, Volume 42 is April 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

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Utilizing the RE-AIM framework to understand adoption of nutrition policies at food pantries across the USA

Abstract: One in five food pantries had a formal nutrition policy, and informal nutrition policies existed for half of the food pantries that responded to the survey.

Cited by 13 publications

References 27 publications

Technical Assistance is Related to Improvements in the Food Pantry Consumer Nutrition Environment

Technical Assistance is Related to Improvements in the Food Pantry Consumer Nutrition Environment

Healthy Food Environments in Food Pantries: Lessons Learned from a Sodium Reduction Intervention

Expanding Implementation Research to Prevent Chronic Diseases in Community Settings

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