Sina Elliott M, Rowe Michael, Mancuso Gina, Garber Gregory, Kelly W Kevin, Leader Amy E
Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
Legacy of Hope, Philadelphia, PA 19130, USA.
Nutrients. 2024 Dec 23;16(24):4408. doi: 10.3390/nu16244408.
Acute food insecurity (FI) significantly impacts cancer patients' health, exacerbating physical and psychological burdens. While current interventions address chronic FI, acute cases remain undermanaged. Legacy of Hope, a Philadelphia-based non-profit, addresses this gap through its Emergency Patient Support Network (EPSN), offering free bi-weekly groceries to patients facing acute FI.
The pilot study evaluated EPSN's impact utilizing the Legacy of Hope Acute Food Insecurity (LOHAFI) survey, which was performed at baseline and two weeks post-intervention. The survey combines the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G7) and questions on food and financial security. Mean scores and frequencies were calculated.
Fifty patients (n = 50) completed the LOHAFI survey. The mean age was 55.1 years; 70% were female; 33 (66%) identified as Black. Two weeks after receiving groceries, patients reported a decrease in nausea (pre: 1.34; post: 1.18) and anxiety related to their cancer (pre: 2.49; post: 2.41) and an increase in the availability (pre: 1.70; post: 1.84) and consumption (pre: 2.26; post: 2.30) of healthy food. However, patient overall quality of life did not improve (pre: 13.14; post: 12.76).
Legacy of Hope's EPSN shows potential in alleviating acute FI among cancer patients, although larger studies are needed to fully assess its impact.
急性粮食不安全状况严重影响癌症患者的健康，加剧其身心负担。虽然目前的干预措施针对的是慢性粮食不安全状况，但急性病例仍未得到充分管理。总部位于费城的非营利组织“希望遗产”通过其紧急患者支持网络（EPSN）填补了这一空白，为面临急性粮食不安全状况的患者提供每两周一次的免费食品杂货。
这项试点研究利用“希望遗产急性粮食不安全状况（LOHAFI）”调查评估了EPSN的影响，该调查在基线和干预后两周进行。该调查结合了癌症治疗通用功能评估（FACT-G7）以及关于粮食和财务安全的问题。计算了平均得分和频率。
50名患者完成了LOHAFI调查。平均年龄为55.1岁；70%为女性；33人（66%）为黑人。在收到食品杂货两周后，患者报告恶心感有所减轻（干预前：1.34；干预后：1.18），与癌症相关的焦虑有所减轻（干预前：2.49；干预后：2.41），健康食品的可获得性（干预前：1.70；干预后：1.84）和消费量（干预前：2.26；干预后：2.30）有所增加。然而，患者的总体生活质量并未改善（干预前：13.14；干预后：12.76）。
“希望遗产”的EPSN在缓解癌症患者的急性粮食不安全状况方面显示出潜力，不过需要更大规模的研究来全面评估其影响。
