Abstract: PO0838
Improving Food Insecurity in Patients with ESKD on Hemodialysis: Partnership with Local Food Bank
Session Information
- Dialysis Care: Epidemiology and the Patient Experience
November 04, 2021 | Location: On-Demand, Virtual Only
Abstract Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Category: Dialysis
- 701 Dialysis: Hemodialysis and Frequent Dialysis
Authors
- Mccall, Elaine T., University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
- Abdel-Rahman, Emaad M., University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States
Background
Nutrition plays an important role in the management of ESKD on HD. Barriers to appropriate nutrition include medical, behavioral and socio-economic factors. Socio-economic factors may include poor purchase power and problems with transportation. Poverty rate at the area of University of Virginia (UVA) is 12.9%, which 1.3 times the state average.
Methods
UVA partnered with the local food bank to meet the basic nutritional needs of our patients by delivering renal appropriate diet to patients at the dialysis unit, with an aim of reducing individual food insecurity.
Results
The current UVA food bank collaboration program distributes more than 50 bags each month and roughly 80% of the entire dialysis program has received at least one bag since the inception of the program. Presently 34 patients consistently received bags each month (bi-monthly or greater distribution of bags). There was no significant changes in weight, serum albumin, calcium, phosphorus or potassium between baseline and 6 months of consistently receiving food bags. 28/34 (82.4%) patients responded to a survey. Patients were 64.3% African American with 57.1% females with average age of 61.3 years. Average household of these patients were 2.2, receiving 2.3 bags/week with an average of 3.3 meals /week. While 50% of patients reported satisfaction with the program, 14.3% were very satisfied, 32.1% neutral and 3.6% were unsatisfied. 57.1% viewed the food as healthy, with 21.4% perceived food to be very healthy, 17.8% were neutral and 3.6% viewed the food to be unhealthy. The majority of the patients reported improved nutrition with these food items (82.1%). While only 10.7% of the patients reported they had to skip a meal because of being short on food, 85.7% reported that these bags helped them eat more meals on a regular basis.
Conclusion
Partnership with local food banks helps decrease food insecurity and improved satisfaction in patients on hemodialysis. Nutritional parameters did not improve, which may be due to consumption of supplemental food outside of the program. Expanding such programs to other dialysis units and provision of more fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats could help decrease dependence on external sources of higher processed foods that contain high levels of potassium and phosphorus and may improve patients’ outcomes.