Food Resources & Kitchen Skills for Adults with Food Insecurity and High Blood Pressure
Official title: Delivering Food Resources & Kitchen Skills (FoRKS) to Adults with Food Insecurity and Hypertension: An RCT
Funded at Indiana University Indianapolis · NIH-11089477 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program helps adults who struggle to get enough healthy food and also have high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes by providing meals, cooking tools, and online cooking classes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Indiana University Indianapolis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Indianapolis, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $568,218 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MD017961-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11089477 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults aged 21 and older who experience food insecurity and have been diagnosed with hypertension or type 2 diabetes.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not experience food insecurity or do not have hypertension or type 2 diabetes may not directly benefit from this specific program.
What this research studies
The FoRKS program offers home cooking tools, delivered Mediterranean-style meals and ingredients, and twice-weekly online cooking classes. These classes allow participants to learn and cook together from their own homes, creating a supportive community. This new program aims to help people manage their high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes by improving their access to nutritious food and teaching them valuable kitchen skills. We are comparing the FoRKS program to an enhanced standard care to see how well it works.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this program could offer a new way for patients with food insecurity and chronic conditions to improve their health through better nutrition and cooking skills.
How similar studies have gone: This program has been successfully piloted with positive feedback on attendance and satisfaction, suggesting a promising approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Indiana University Indianapolis
Indianapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Clark, Daniel O — Indiana University Indianapolis
- Study coordinator: Clark, Daniel O
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Pay-what-you-can cafes and heart health in people with high blood pressure and food insecurity
This project tests whether eating at pay-what-you-can cafes improves blood pressure and heart- disease related outcomes for hypertensive adults who face food insecurity.
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FoRKS: Bringing healthy meals and kitchen skills to adults with food insecurity and high blood pressure
A funded study will test whether tailored meals plus hands-on cooking support improve blood pressure and diabetes management in adults facing food insecurity.
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Improving food security and blood pressure control in patients with hypertension
This study is looking at the best ways to help people with high blood pressure who are struggling to get enough healthy food, by trying out different support options like sharing local resources, using health workers, and providing meals tailored to their needs, so they can better manage their health.
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HEARTS hypertension and diabetes care in Guatemala
This grant tests how well the HEARTS primary care model works in Guatemala to improve blood pressure and blood sugar control for patients.
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Integrated Heart Health: A HEARTS-based approach to hypertension and diabetes in Guatemala
A study tests a team-based, stepwise care model to improve blood pressure and blood sugar control for people with both hypertension and diabetes in Guatemala.
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.