Funded Projects

Food Insecurity within Food Allergies

Project Year

2026

City & State

Atlanta, Georgia

Program Name

Resident

Topic

Food Insecurity

Program Description

Problem: Children with food allergies face unique challenges that exacerbate food insecurity, such as less accessible allergen-free foods and additional financial burdens of food, medications and/or emergency room visits. Food insecurity affects 20-23% of children with food allergies, which is higher than the general population rate of 10-13% [1]. Furthermore, children with more than one allergy have a 2.5 times higher odds of food insecurity compared to those without food allergies [2].   In Atlanta, a 2024 survey by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) showed that 18% of households managing a food allergy had difficulty obtaining allergy-safe food, 56% worried that food would run out before there was money to buy more, and 57% visited a food bank in the past 12 months. 82% of survey respondents were African American, and it is known that African American children with food allergies experience higher rates of food insecurity compared to their white counterparts [3].   At Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA), the Allergy & Immunology department has implemented “The Hunger Vital Sign” to screen for food insecurity within their clinics, identifying a need for more allergen-friendly food. Families have routinely been connected to a list of community resources (i.e., food banks), but it has been difficult to determine if families successfully utilize these resources. We aim to connect these families with a delivery service that provides personalized, allergen-friendly groceries to their doorstep. The lack of private and public transportation have both been strongly associated with further exacerbating food insecurity, and this project aims to bridge this gap [4]. Food can serve as medicine, and, by providing medically tailored meals or groceries to families who identify as “food insecure,” we strive to reduce adverse food-related events, improve disease management, and lower healthcare utilization and associated costs.  

Number of Children Affected: In 2025, CHOA saw over 1,900 patients for a primary diagnosis of food allergy. Given the prevalence of food insecurity, we estimate over 300 families are suffering from food insecurity.  

Project Goal: To identify patients with severe food allergies whose families identify as food insecure and provide allergen-friendly food to families, addressing acute food insecurity, decreasing rates of follow-up healthcare visits due to food-related adverse reactions, and ultimately improving long-term health outcomes.  

Proposed Intervention: To partner with Attane Health [5], an online platform that partners with healthcare providers and payors (Medicaid, Medicare plans), to provide personalized allergen-free home grocery delivery services to families identified in our Allergy and Immunology clinics who identify as food insecure.  

Anticipated Outcomes: To increase rates of food resource utilization in families that have children with food allergies and identify as food insecure, ultimately improving short-term health care utilization and long-term health outcomes. Previous research has found that children in households suffering from food insecurity are more likely to have psychosocial challenges and frequent somatic symptoms such as head or stomach aches, leading to increased healthcare utilization and missed school days, further contributing to behavioral concerns, poor developmental outcomes, and chronic illnesses such as obesity [6].  

Project Goal

The goal of this project is to collaborate with faculty (Allergy/Immunology attendings, nursing, social workers), community partners (Attane Health, Teaching Kitchens), and CHOA as a system to reduce inequities in access to allergen-safe foods among pediatric patients with food allergies. We plan to achieve this by integrating food insecurity screening with a clinically informed, allergen-friendly grocery delivery model, ultimately improving food safety and reducing food-allergy-related adverse events and promoting long-term health outcomes.  

Project Objective 1

By July 2026, establish and implement a standardized referral and communication workflow between the Allergy and Immunology department providers and Attane Health that incorporates family/patient and social work perspectives. 

Project Objective 2

By October 2026, identify and enroll at least 25 pediatric patients with food allergies who screen positive for food insecurity through CHOA Allergy and Immunology clinics, prioritizing Medicaid-insured and uninsured families and those at increased clinical risk (high severity of allergy, history of anaphylaxis). 

Project Objective 3

Between November 2026 and April 2027, assess the impact of the intervention by collecting post-referral feedback from at least 70% of participating families using a brief survey assessing ease of use, success of delivery, and perceived impact on access to safe foods, and recommendations for improvements.  

AAP District

District X

Institutional Name

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

Contact 1

Cynthia Ong, MD

Contact 2

Sonya Randolph, MD

Contact 3

Renie George

Contact 4

Emily Kaminski