Caregivers experience food insecurity during hospitalization of sick children

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine found caregivers of children hospitalized for cancer and blood disorders may experience food insecurity during their child's stay, even if they don't face that issue at home, and it could be linked to longer stays. 

The study, published this spring in Pediatric Blood & Cancer, highlights an overlooked issue, "inpatient food insecurity," or when families don't have enough to eat while their child is in the hospital because of the hardships that time might create like missed work or additional expenses. 

We found caregivers who otherwise wouldn't be food insecure at home had trouble accessing food when their child was in the hospital. These are not only times of stress for a family, but they incur additional expenses that go beyond medical bills." 

Joanna Robles, M.D., assistant professor, hematology and oncology, pediatrics, at Wake Forest University School of Medicine

The study examined survey responses from more than 300 caregivers of children hospitalized in 2022 and 2023 at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Brenner Children's Hospital and found nearly one in five caregivers of children admitted to pediatric hematology-oncology units reported experiencing food insecurity during their child's hospital stay. And most of them - more than 70% - said they did not experience food insecurity at home outside of hospitalization times. 

Food insecurity can also impact the overall outcome of the sick child, the study also found. Children whose caregivers experienced food insecurity during the hospitalization stayed in the hospital about one third longer on average compared to those who did not. These children also had higher rates of readmission within 30 days of discharge. 

"This shows the value in that additional screening question," Robles said. "Not only should we assess if a patient's family struggles with access to food, but we should also specifically screen during the hospital stay and offer help in real time, like meals or other financial assistance. 

Robles said additional research is needed to better understand how inpatient food insecurity affects clinical outcomes and whether targeted support, such as caregiver meal assistance, transportation support or broader financial screening, can reduce hospital length of stay or readmissions. 

To address inpatient food insecurity at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Brenner Children's Hospital, families who need help are offered three free hot meals a day while their child is in the hospital in addition to a 24/7 food pantry with shelf-stable items. Families are also referred to state and federal assistance programs with the ability to apply onsite to ease the process. 

"Families go through a lot when a child is sick," she added. "If we can help provide the basics, they can focus on their child's health, and it could even improve outcomes."