Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
The Greater Boston Food Bank, 70 South Bay Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
Healthc (Amst). 2021 Dec;9(4):100589. doi: 10.1016/j.hjdsi.2021.100589. Epub 2021 Oct 7.
Food insecurity is defined by limited access to adequate food. As a result, it is associated with chronic disease for millions of Americans. Healthcare systems take responsibility for improving patient health and thus are well positioned to create food security interventions that improve health. Given that dietary recommendations now emphasize plant-based foods (such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains), interventions could prioritize distributing plant-based foods that promote health and reduce food insecurity. We developed a plant-based food pantry at the Massachusetts General Hospital Revere Healthcare Center, an academic medical center-affiliated community clinic that serves many patients with food insecurity. We partnered with a local food bank and used a color-coded nutrition ranking system to prioritize healthy foods. What began as a pilot program for patients with food insecurity and chronic disease expanded to serve the entire clinic population in response to rising community level food insecurity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. We developed and modified a workflow that provided an average of 384 recipients (i.e., patients and their household members) with food monthly during the 10-month study period. A total of 117,742 pounds of food was distributed. Next steps for the food pantry will include investigating health outcomes, assessing patient satisfaction with plant-based foods, and securing sustainable funding. Our experience can be used to guide other health organizations interested in the intersection of food security and chronic disease management.
食物不安全是指获取充足食物的机会有限。因此，它与数百万美国人的慢性病有关。医疗保健系统有责任改善患者的健康状况，因此非常适合开展改善粮食安全的干预措施，以促进健康。鉴于目前的饮食建议强调植物性食物（如蔬菜、水果、豆类和全谷物），干预措施可以优先分发促进健康和减少粮食不安全的植物性食物。我们在马萨诸塞州综合医院里维尔医疗中心设立了一个植物性食品储藏室，这是一家学术医疗中心附属的社区诊所，为许多食物不安全的患者提供服务。我们与当地的食品银行合作，并使用彩色编码的营养等级系统来优先考虑健康食品。这个项目最初是为患有食物不安全和慢性病的患者设立的试点项目，后来为应对 COVID-19 大流行导致的社区层面食物不安全程度上升，扩大到为整个诊所的患者提供服务。我们开发并修改了一个工作流程，在 10 个月的研究期间，平均每月为 384 名（即患者及其家庭成员）提供食物。共分发了 117742 磅食物。食品储藏室的下一步计划包括调查健康结果，评估患者对植物性食物的满意度，并确保可持续的资金支持。我们的经验可以为其他有兴趣研究粮食安全和慢性病管理交叉点的卫生组织提供指导。
