Childhood obesity prevalence is rising in the U.S. and is known to track into adulthood, increasing the risks of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Households of children with obesity also face unmet social needs, such as food insecurity. Food insecurity is associated with poorer dietary quality and higher prevalence of obesity and diabetes in adults; however, data are inconsistent and less known regarding longitudinal health effects in children. Because food insecurity and childhood obesity tend to co-occur in Black, Hispanic, and lower-income households, there is an urgent need to examine and intervene in the social determinants associated with rising childhood obesity prevalence.
The goals of this study are to 1) pilot the feasibility of a novel meal kit delivery intervention in families and children with food insecurity and obesity and 2) evaluate the implementation of the pilot intervention.