CommunityRx-Hunger

CommunityRx-Hunger (CRx-H) is a double-blinded randomized controlled trial aimed at increasing self-efficacy among caregivers with food insecurity in the household. CRx-H is recruiting primary caregivers of hospitalized children at a large urban children's hospital at the time of admission. Aim 1: Researchers are studying whether the intervention will increase self-efficacy among food insecure caregivers compared to those who receive the usual standard of care. Aim 2: Researchers will enroll and randomize caregivers with and without food insecurity to the intervention to compare satisfaction with care.

Eligible, self-identified caregivers will complete a baseline survey during the child's hospital stay, followed by phone surveys at 7, 30, 90, 180 days, and 12 months. Caregivers randomized to the intervention will receive a tailored list of resources to address food insecurity and other health-related social needs, plus a brief educational component delivered by a trained member of our research team. Cases will receive a "booster" dose of the resource list prior to discharge. After discharge, cases will receive proactive text messages about those same community resources.

All caregivers (regardless of research arm) will receive a series of text messages related to the study such as reminders to schedule the phone survey with a member of the research team.

Inclusion criteria

• Native English or Spanish speaker
• Living in 1 of 27 zip codes in the study's target region
• Self-identify as a primary caregiver of a child <18 years old hospitalized in a large urban children's hospital
• Ability to send and receive text messages
• Access to a mobile phone and agrees to receive text messages from the study

Exclusion criteria

• Previous participation in a CRx research study.
• Caregivers of newborns in the hospital
• Patient hospital stay is less than 24 hours
• Patient hospital stay is 30 days or more
• Patient has an eating disorder as indicated in the EMR