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Project Open Hand

An Evidence-Based Practice

Description

Researchers evaluated a 6-month community- based food support intervention called Project Open Hand, which provided meals and snacks designed to comprise 100% of daily energy requirements and meet nutritional guidelines for a healthy diet. The meals were not delivered. The cost of food and packaging per person was $6.58 a day, or $1,184 for the 6-month intervention.

Goal / Mission

The goal of the study was to evaluate a community-based food support intervention in the San Francisco Bay Area for people living with HIV and/or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and potential impact of the intervention on nutritional, mental health, disease management, healthcare utilization, and physical health outcomes.

Impact

Comprehensive, medically appropriate food support is feasible and may improve multiple health outcomes for food-insecure individuals living with chronic health conditions.

Results / Accomplishments

Participants experienced statistically significant decreases in low food security and depressive symptoms. Comparing baseline to follow-up, very low food security decreased from 59.6% to 11.5%. Frequency of consumption of fats decreased, while frequency increased for fruits and vegetables. Among people with diabetes, frequency of sugar consumption decreased. There were also decreased depressive symptoms and binge drinking. At follow-up, fewer participants sacrificed food for healthcare or prescriptions, or sacrificed healthcare for food. Among people with HIV, 95% adherence to antiretroviral therapy increased from 47 to 70%. Among people with T2DM, diabetes distress and perceived diabetes self-management improved. Although not statistically significant, there was a 9.9% decline among participants in having at least one hospitalization in the previous three months, and a 9.6% decline in at least one ED visit.

About this Promising Practice

Primary Contact
Project Open Hand San Francisco
730 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 447-2300
info@openhand.org
https://www.openhand.org/
Topics
Health / Physical Activity
Location
San Francisco
For more details
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11524-0...

Related Promising Practices

  1. Project Open Hand
  2. The Healthy Diabetes Plate
  3. National Diabetes Prevention Program
  4. Northern Michigan Diabetes Initiative: Healthy Family Backpack Program
  5. Students for Nutrition and Exercise (SNaX)

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Related Content for: Project Open Hand

An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.