FoRKS: Bringing healthy meals and kitchen skills to 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-11378641 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A funded study will test whether tailored meals plus hands-on cooking support improve blood pressure and diabetes management in adults facing food insecurity.
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 | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $577,892 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MD017961-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11378641 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) with food insecurity and either hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes who receive care at safety-net clinics.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without food insecurity or without the targeted conditions may see little or no direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project adapts a home-delivery and cooking program to a randomized trial to see if providing affordable, lower-sodium, Mediterranean-style meals along with kitchen skills training helps adults with both food insecurity and hypertension or type 2 diabetes manage their health. Participants receive home-delivered meals and twice-weekly cooking classes via Webex, plus essential cooking tools, to make sustainable dietary changes in their own homes. The study builds on prior pilots and uses user-centered design to ensure the program fits real-world safety-net clinics and patient needs. If successful, the approach could offer a practical way to reduce cardiovascular risk and improve diabetes outcomes by improving access to nutritious food and cooking skills.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could experience better blood pressure control and diabetes management through easier access to healthy meals and practical cooking support.
How similar studies have gone: Preliminary pilots showed high attendance and satisfaction with delivered meals and cooking classes, suggesting potential benefits for larger trials.
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.
-
Helping people with high blood pressure get food and stick to their medicines
This project tries different ways to help people with high blood pressure who do not have enough food get meals and support so they can take their medicines and lower their blood pressure.
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Food Resources & Kitchen Skills for Adults with Food Insecurity and High Blood Pressure
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.
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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.