Enjoying Affordable and Tasty Food Together Study

This study, called "Enjoying Affordable and Tasty Food Together," is looking at a new program that provides meal kits and nutrition education. It aims to help adults aged 40 and older who have lower incomes. The goal is to see if these meal kits and lessons can improve food security (making sure you have enough food), dietary quality (eating healthy foods), and overall well-being. Researchers want to understand if people like the program and if it helps reduce stress and improve quality of life. The study plans to enroll 120 participants.

Study design
This is an interventional study with a planned enrollment of 120 participants. It compares a meal kit and nutrition education program with general nutrition education materials.
What's involved
You would need to provide informed consent, attend study visits, and complete study requirements. Your food insecurity, dietary quality, and perceived stress will be measured at enrollment and again at 12 weeks.
Compensation
Not stated in the trial record.
Follow-up
Your food insecurity, dietary quality, and perceived stress will be measured at enrollment and again at 12 weeks.

AI-generated from the public study record. Only the study team can confirm whether you're eligible — confirm details with them before making decisions.

NCT07036757

Enjoying Affordable and Tasty Food Together

Recruiting
NAAges 40+InterventionalPrevention
University of Massachusetts, Lowell
~120 participants
Updated 2026-05-05 on ClinicalTrials.gov
What's tested:Meal Kit and Nutrition Education

At a glance

Recruiting sites
1 of 1 listed site is recruiting right now
RecruitingSuspended, closed, or not yet open
What they're measuring
Food insecurity
Measured over At enrollment and at 12 weeks
+9 more outcomes measured
Food Insecurity
Dietary Quality
Quality of Life
Cooking Self-efficacy
Perceived Stress
Anxiety
Depressive Symptomatology
Anthropometrics: Height and Weight
Glucose Variability
Blood Pressure
1 sites across 1 states
Massachusetts1

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Eligibility criteria

Inclusion

Adults aged 40 years and older.
Household income at or less than the 200% the federal poverty level (household size 1: $30,120, household size 2: $40,880, household size 3: $51,640, household size 4: $62,400, and household size 5: $73,160)
Willing to provide informed consent and complete the study requirements, including attending study visits and completing questionnaires.
Access to a refrigerator or other means to safely store perishable food, as the meal kits require refrigeration.
BMI \> 30 kg/m2 and self-report having at least one of the following: elevated blood pressure or hypertension, elevated glucose, prediabetes or diabetes.
Reside in the Greater Lowell area or surrounding regions to ensure feasibility of meal kit delivery and data collection.

Exclusion

Less than 40 years old
Does not have BMI \>30 kg/m2, elevated blood pressure or hypertension, or elevated glucose, prediabetes or diabetes
Not able to provide consent (adults lacking capacity)
Follow a medically restricted diet or have allergies to wheat, soy, or dairy
Plans to move from the Greater Lowell area within the next 12 months
Live outside the Greater Lowell area because this will impact meal kit delivery
Individuals without a working refrigerator in your household
Have a serious medical condition requiring a doctor's care including cancer, chronic kidney disease and/or celiac disease
Currently part of a study on diabetes, cardiovascular disease, nutrition or weight-loss
Currently taking any weight loss medication like Ozempic, or medication for diabetes, dyslipidemia or hypertension
Currently using a continuous glucose monitor
  • Food insecurityAt enrollment and at 12 weeks

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 10-item food security screener will be used. This tool asks participants about their food security within the last 12 months. Scores range from 0 to 10, which a score of 0 indicating high food security, 1-2 indicating marginal food security, 3-5 indicating low food security, and 6-10 indicating very low food security.

  • Dietary QualityAt enrollment and at 12 weeks

    Dietary data will be collected by three 24-hr dietary recalls, using multi-pass interview software. At each time point, one 24-hour recall will be conducted during the interview, and two by phone within the following week (including a weekend day). A trained interviewer will use the Nutrition Data System for Research software (NDSR version 2019; Nutrition Coordinating Center, University of Minnesota).

  • Perceived StressAt enrollment and at 12 weeks

    Perceived Stress Scale: The 14- item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) gauges the respondent's perception of stress over the last month. The PSS measures the extent to which respondents perceive their lives over the past month as unpredictable and uncontrollable. Total scores ranges from 0-56, with higher scores indicating greater perceived stress.

  • AnxietyAt enrollment and at 12 weeks

    The State Trait Anxiety Scale assesses anxiety in participants using a 10-item questionnaire. Total scores range from 10 to 40, with greater scores indicating greater anxiety symptoms.

  • Depressive SymptomatologyAt enrollment and at 12 weeks

    The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) will be used to assess depressive symptomatology. The scale consists of 20 items which ask about mood during the past week. Total scores range from 0 to 60, with higher scores indicating more severe depressive symptomatology.

  • Health-related Quality of LifeAt enrollment and at 12 weeks

    Health-related QOL will be assessed using the validated U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) scale. This instrument includes the standard 4-item set of Healthy Days core questions. Scores range from 0 to 30 days with higher scores indicating more frequent poor physical and mental health.

  • Blood PressureAt enrollment and at 12 weeks

    Systolic and diastolic blood pressure will be measured using an electronic sphygmomanometer (DinamapTM Model 8260, Critikon, Tampa, FL), in duplicate, after a short rest period.

  • Body Mass IndexAt enrollment and at 12 weeks

    Height and weight will be measured in duplicate following standard techniques and integrated into one reported measures of body mass index. Weight will be measured with a clinical scale (Toledo Weight Plate, Model I5S, Bay State and Systems Inc. Burlington, MA), and height with a portable stadiometer. Body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) will be calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.

  • Glucose variabilityAt enrollment and at 12 weeks

    Interstitial glucose will be measured every 15 minutes using Dexcom G6 PRO continuous glucose monitors. Monitors will be fitted by trained research study staff on the upper, non-dominant arm with adhesive tape during the baseline visit and work for 7 days. The monitor will be removed by trained staff.

  • Waist circumferenceAt enrollment and 12 weeks.

    Waist circumference will be measured in duplicate using a flexible tape measure following standard procedures. An average of the two values will be used.