Impact of enhanced food pantry services on food security among adults with diabetes using a crossover study design

Food banks and pantries provide food to millions of food-insecure households each year. However, there has been limited research to understand the extent to which they improve food security. This is a secondary, prespecified analysis of a randomized controlled trial. We examined whether an enhanced food bank intervention impacted the food security status of adults with diabetes. Using a crossover design, participants (n=568) were randomly assigned to receive the intervention (usual pantry services plus twice-monthly diabetes-specific food boxes, diabetes self-management education, health care referrals, and glucose monitoring) or 6 mo of usual services. Results demonstrate a statistically significant improvement in food insecurity among participants following the intervention phase compared with the control phase (mean: 0.49-point decrease; 95% CI: 0.21, 0.77; P=0.0006). This finding adds to evidence that the charitable food system plays an important role in mitigating short-term food insecurity for adults with diabetes.