An interventional study of 'Text Connect' text messages in Food Insecurity, sponsored by Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Completed at 1 site in United States. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-01-13.
Sponsored by Vanderbilt University Medical Center · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a novel text-message-based intervention is a more effective method for providing food resource information to families of recently hospitalized children who are experiencing food insecurity compared to the current standard practice of a paper handout delivered at the time of hospital discharge. The hypotheses the investigators seek to prove are:
The mHealth intervention, Text Connect, leverages universal FI screening embedded in the routine clinical care of hospitalized children and offers an innovative approach to providing food resource information that addresses previously identified challenges. The anonymous nature of the text message may empower families with concerns related to sharing their need to pursue resources. Leveraging an already existing online social resource database that is frequently updated and searchable by ZIP Code in many different languages ensures that community program information is accurate, relevant, and tailored to the user's needs. Automated delivery to a personal device addresses the barrier of not receiving referral information and enables patients and families to utilize the information when most convenient for them. Importantly, it is also a promising approach to disseminating this information to all individuals with FI. While development of an app or link in an online portal is a possible electronic information dissemination approach, there are known challenges in accessing such tools that would limit use by many in the population that most frequently experiences FI.
By leveraging an electronic health record vendor's (Epic) native screening questions to identify eligible families and an external social resource database to provide tailored resources, this approach is scalable to other care settings, other domains of needs, and other institutions. Most importantly, successful implementation of this intervention holds the potential to improve family food security and child health outcomes.
The investigator's pilot study testing the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of this proposed approach to resource provision demonstrated that the intervention reaches the majority of the intended population, over half of recipients engage with the content, has excellent usability, and is acceptable to families. Thus, the overarching goal of this proposal is to rigorously test this approach to resource information delivery through a randomized controlled trial to inform health-system approaches to providing social resource information in response to screening. The specific aims are:
Aim 1: In a randomized controlled trial, the investigators will test the reach, engagement, and effectiveness of resource connection of the mHealth intervention, Text Connect, as compared to usual care, a paper resource handout, among families with FI. The investigators hypothesize that the mHealth intervention Text Connect will have greater reach and engagement and be more effective in facilitating connection to food resources than receiving a paper handout alone.
Aim 2: Assess the impact of the Text Connect intervention on household food and nutrition security status, perceived stigma, and trust in the healthcare team compared to usual care. The investigators hypothesize that the Text Connect intervention will improve household food security to a greater degree than a paper handout alone.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center is the lead sponsor of 824 studies on the registry; 164 are open to participants now.
Of its 122 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 91 (75%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Caregivers included in the usual care group receive a paper food resource handout as part of their discharge paperwork. This paper is given to the family and reviewed by the nurse completing their discharge. Families may also meet with a resource navigator during admission if they indicate a desire to talk with someone about food resources during their hospitalization. Finally, all caregivers with FI identified during screening are eligible to receive a food box or frozen meal at the time of discharge from the hospital.
Caregivers included in the intervention arm receive a 'Text Connect' message with food resource information one day and four days after discharge in addition to the usual care information received by the control group
Other: 'Text Connect' text messages
The Text Connect message includes 1) a link to a FindHelp (an online social resource database available in over 100 languages) search tailored to the recipient's home ZIP code 2) information regarding applying for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and information regarding applying for the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). All text message content was initially developed in consultation with caregivers of children with FI identified during an admission through a Community Engagement studio and was approved by the institution's Effective Health Communication Core. The investigators have adapted the content based on feedback from participants in the pilot study.
Resource Connection (Effectiveness)
Effectiveness is measured as the proportion of caregivers who report (Yes/No) getting a new food resource since getting home from their child's hospitalization.
Time frame: Days 5, 12, and 30
Caregiver-reported Engagement with information
Measured among control and intervention groups as the proportion of caregivers who report reading (Yes/No) or using the content of the discharge resource handout (control) or text message (intervention) to search for a new resource
Time frame: Days 5, 12, and 30
System-collected Engagement with information
Measured among the intervention group as the proportion of caregivers who click on the embedded FindHelp search link
Time frame: Days 1 and 4
Caregiver-reported Reach
Reach will be measured among intervention and control groups as the proportion of caregivers who report receiving the text message (intervention) or paper handout (control)
Time frame: 5, 12, & 30
System-collected Reach
Will be measured among among the intervention cohort as the proportion of caregivers who have successful delivery of at least one Text Connect intervention message as recorded by Twilio report of text message delivery
Time frame: Day 1 and 4
Food Security
Food Security is measured by the 18 item USDA Food Security Survey. The items ask about households ability to afford enough food. Raw scores range from 0-18, which are then classified into categories including very low food security (8-18), low food security (3-7), marginal food security (1-2) and high food security (0)
Time frame: Day 30
Nutrition Security
Nutrition Security is measured by 4-item Center for Nutrition and Health Impact Nutrition Security Scale. The items ask about caregivers ability to access nutritious foods. Answer choices include 'Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Often, Always, and Don't Know'. Scores range from 0-4, where higher scores indicate higher nutrition
Time frame: Day 30
Resilience
Resilience is measured by Center for Nutrition and Health Impact Adaptive Capacity 2-item Screener. The items ask about caregivers ability to find assistance in the face of financial challenges. Answer choices include a 6-point Likert Scale from Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree, with responses of Slightly Disagree, Disagree, or Strongly Disagree to either question indicating a positive screen for needing additional support to navigate financial challenges.
Time frame: Day 30
Stigma
Stigma is measured by a modified version of the Discrimination in Medical Settings scale asking about the child's recent hospitalization. The items ask about negative experiences in the health care setting. Each question is rated on a 5-point Likert scale (1-never, 2-rarely, 3-sometimes, 4-most of the time, 5-always). Scores range from 5-35 with higher scores indicating more experiences of discrimination.
Time frame: Day 30
Trust in Health Care System
Trust in health care team is measured by 5-point Likert scale, where higher score indicates higher level of trust.
Time frame: Day 30
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
This study is completed, as verified in Jan 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.
Vanderbilt University Medical Center