Addressing Food Insecurity for Youth with Diabetes in Clinical Care
Official title: Addressing Food Insecurity among Vulnerable Families of Youth with Diabetes in Routine Clinical Care
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11404046 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study tests a social work–led program to screen for social needs like food insecurity and connect families of children with type 1 diabetes to community resources through their health care clinic.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $497,870 |
| NIH project number | 4R01DK144220-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11404046 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes enrolled in the California Children’s Services program and receiving care at the Westwood Pediatric Endocrinology clinic.
✕Less likely to help
Families not enrolled in CCS or not experiencing identified social needs may derive little direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project will implement a social work–led SDOH screening and referral program in a pediatric endocrinology clinic serving families of youth with type 1 diabetes. It aims to identify social determinants such as food insecurity and connect families to community resources through partnerships with organizations that address these needs, with a pragmatic, single-arm design and a non-randomized comparison group. The study will track how often referrals are made, how families engage with referred services, and subsequent health outcomes related to diabetes management. By focusing on real-world clinical care and sustainability, the project seeks scalable approaches to reduce social barriers that hinder effective diabetes control.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help more families access resources that support diabetes management and improve health equity.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests screening for social determinants can improve care in chronic diseases, but this specific SDOH screening and referral approach in pediatric diabetes is being tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wisk, Lauren Elisabeth — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Wisk, Lauren Elisabeth
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Produce Prescription Program to Help American Indian Older Adults with Diabetes Risk
A community-based program will provide healthy foods to AI older adults to help reduce food insecurity and lower type 2 diabetes risk.
-
Food prescriptions to help youth with type 1 diabetes eat well
A pilot program will test giving healthy foods through a community partnership to families of kids with type 1 diabetes who don’t have reliable access to food.
-
Reducing food insecurity for African American adults with diabetes
This study is looking at how not having enough food affects African American adults with Type 2 diabetes and is testing whether sending them food boxes or giving them food vouchers helps them manage their blood sugar better, or if using both together works best.
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Using food prescriptions to help youth with type 1 diabetes facing food insecurity
This study is looking at how providing healthy food options and support can help kids aged 10-15 with type 1 diabetes who don’t always have enough to eat, aiming to improve their eating habits and overall health.
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Improving household food access and blood sugar control for Latino adults with diabetes
This program gives Latino adults with prediabetes or diabetes fiber-rich food deliveries plus remote culturally adapted lifestyle coaching to help reduce food insecurity and lower blood sugar.
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Helping people with type 2 diabetes who struggle to access food manage their condition better.
This study is creating a special program to help people with type 2 diabetes who struggle to get enough healthy food, by understanding their unique challenges and finding better ways to support them in managing their diabetes.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.