Tackling Food Insecurity: How Pediatric Residents are Connecting Kids with Healthy Food in Ohio

Nearly one in five kids living in Franklin County, the most populous county in Ohio, don’t know when or where they’ll get their next meal, according to data from Feeding America. The rate of food insecurity is even higher among Latino residents. Language and transportation barriers often make it harder for these families to get healthy groceries, while undocumented individuals may not have identification to register at some food pantries. 

Satisfying immediate hunger is a big enough need on its own, but food insecurity in childhood can influence health outcomes for life. Kids who grow up in food-insecure households are more likely to be diagnosed with a range of acute and chronic health problems, including asthma and depressive symptoms, according to a 2019 study published in Pediatrics. 

Ana Cabal Hererra, MD, and Katie Foreman, MD, both medical residents at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, realized they could help supply the missing link that would reduce food insecurity in the local Latino population and set children up for a lifetime of better health. With support from an AAP Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) grant, they partnered with Clínica Latina, a nonprofit organization serving the medical needs of Spanish-speaking families in Central Ohio, to develop resources that identify insecurities and address barriers so fewer kids go without nutritious food.   

The result: AAP donations led to a ten-fold increase in awareness of WIC and SNAP among families who visit Clínica Latina and helped countless children get the nourishment they need to reach their potential. 

A Novel Solution to Food Insecurity 

Dr. Cabal Hererra and Dr. Foreman developed a survey they used to screen visitors to Clínica Latina for food insecurity. They paired the survey with brochures that outlined information about local food pantries and explained how to sign up for public assistance programs. They also provided copies of the USDA’s MyPlate tool, translated into Spanish, to help families establish healthy eating habits. 

“We connected patients and families with resources and raised awareness among pediatric residents who volunteer at Clínica Latina about food insecurity resources available for immigrant families and about misconceptions regarding WIC and SNAP,” Dr. Cabal Hererra said. Many families said they eagerly shared what they learned with family and friends, expanding the program’s reach. 

The grant facilitated additional partnerships with the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, which helped distribute the MyPlate translations, and the Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe/Lady of Guadalupe, a popular food pantry among Spanish-speaking families. The pantry collaborated with Dr. Cabal Hererra and Dr. Foreman to connect its patrons with medical referrals. 

And this is just the start. Dr. Cabal Hererra and Dr. Foreman have begun to expand the project, which received the Antoinette Eaton Resident Advocacy Award from Nationwide, with additional educational programming and new community resources. 

Donations to the AAP create a ripple effect: One family shares learnings with another. One partnership expands to many. And one meal at a time, steady nutrition today is helping children thrive for a lifetime.