748 - Pediatric Caregivers' Priorities When Receiving Food Assistance in Primary Care

Publication Number: 748.5667

Michael Mattiucci, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States; Catia Chavez, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States; Sana Yousuf, Children's Hospital Colorado, Denver, CO, United States; Eve Kutchman, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States; Elizabeth Bayliss, Institute for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States; Lisa R. DeCamp, Children's Hospital Colorado | University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States; Andrea Jimenez-Zambrano, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States

Background: Programs in pediatric primary care to screen for and address food insecurity (FI) are becoming more common. However, little is known about families’ goals and priorities in getting food assistance in this setting. Family and caregiver perspectives are needed to promote more family-centered programs.

Objective: To understand pediatric caregiver priorities when receiving food assistance in an academic pediatric primary care setting.

Design/Methods: In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted between August and October 2024 with 15 pediatric caregivers (parents or guardians) who received food assistance in a large, academic pediatric primary care clinic in Aurora, CO. The clinic offers multiple levels of FI support including fresh, healthy foods and nutrition education via scheduled appointments, navigation assistance accessing public benefits, and referral to community food resources including food pantries. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish via Zoom or telephone and were recorded, transcribed, and translated. Interviews in Spanish were conducted by a bilingual/bicultural research team member. We used rapid qualitative analysis to identify themes describing priorities of caregivers when receiving food assistance.

Results: Interviews were conducted with 15 female caregivers (Table1). Five interviews were conducted in Spanish. Key themes identified include: 1) Food quantity is very important to most families, but is not the sole priority when receiving food assistance, 2) Food quality is a priority for most families, including getting fresh, nutritious, and varied food items, and 3) Access to food assistance, including frequency and duration of assistance, availability of appointments, and distance needed to travel were key aspects of whether food assistance was considered easy to use (Table 2).

Conclusion(s): Caregivers of pediatric patients experiencing food insecurity have multiple priorities when obtaining food assistance in a primary care setting, including increasing food quantity and quality as well as program access. Food insecurity programs in pediatric health care settings should consider family priorities when creating and evaluating interventions. Caregiver and family involvement in program co-creation may help to increase use and potential family benefit.

Table 1
Participant Characteristics

Table 2
Priorities of Caregivers Receiving Food Assistance in Pediatric Primary Care