SIP14-026 Cognitive Interviews of Executive Directors of Food Banks to Inform Improved Distribution of Healthy Foods

Project Director/Lead Investigator: Hilary Seligman, MD (UCSF PI); Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, PhD (Co-PI); Dean Schillinger, MD (Co-PI); Elaine Waxman, PhD (Co-PI); Michelle Marshall (Co-PI);  Marguerita Lightfoot, PhD (UCSF PRC PI)   Coordinating Center Aim 1: Identify critical gaps in nutrition policy research, and insure that cost-effective and time-efficient projects are conducted to fill those gaps Coordinating Center Aim 2: Disseminate findings broadly and engage external and non-traditional stakeholders by employing multiple communication channels Coordinating Center Aim 3: Facilitate translation of effective policies into local communities by leveraging the infrastructure of the Working Groups and our engagement with varied stakeholders   CVP faculty and staff, under the leadership of Dr. Hilary Seligman, bring a unique skill set to the coordination of CDC’s nutrition policy through NOPREN:

• Depth of expertise working with community groups and county and state health departments, with a particular focus on nutrition policy, diabetes prevention, and health disparities.
• Infrastructure and experience in leading and coordinating trans-disciplinary, multi-site programs for research and evaluation.
• Deep skill in all phases of policy and implementation research, from intervention design, evaluation, and implementation; to dissemination; to sophisticated modeling of policy interventions.
• Experience directing state public health programs in chronic disease prevention and control.
• Expertise in the health consequences of poor nutrition and poverty, informed by our continued work as primary care physicians at an urban, safety net hospital run by the local health department.

As a Collaborating Member Center, we will continue our longstanding collaboration with a national network of food banks (Feeding America) to answer a critical nutrition policy research question: how can we leverage the infrastructure and enormous capacity of the existing food bank system to support national nutrition priorities in low-income communities? We will answer this question by completing the following Aims:   Project Aim 1: Systematically interview Executive Directors of food banks across the US to rigorously examine barriers to and opportunities for distribution of healthier foods (particularly fresh vegetables and fruits) Project Aim 2: Establish policies and goals for the distribution of healthier foods by food banks, create and nationally disseminate the first toolkit to assist in implementation, and monitor policy success at the level of the food bank Project Aim 3: Create a protocol for monitoring policy success at the level of the individual by measuring client dietary intake over time