UAMS Sees Improved Diabetes Management Through Food Is Medicine Study with Grocery Deliveries
| FAYETTEVILLE — Through a Food Is Medicine intervention delivered in collaboration with food pantries and partners in Northwest Arkansas, researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Institute for Community Health Innovation found improved blood sugar outcomes for nearly 60% of participating adults with diabetes, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior.
About 290,000 adults in Arkansas — or 12% of the population — have diabetes. From 2020-2024, the Institute for Community Health Innovation and food pantries worked together to provide education and nutritious food deliveries to Arkansans with diabetes in Benton and Washington counties.
According to researchers, study participants had a clinically meaningful reduction in average Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels of 0.56 units. HbA1c is a measure of average blood sugar levels over the previous three months, and a reduction of this magnitude may lower the risk of diabetes-related complications. Additionally, 48% of participants reduced their body mass index — a measure that relates body weight to height — and 64% reported reduced diabetes-related distress through the intervention.
“Our findings show that bringing medically tailored groceries directly to people’s homes can lead to clinically significant improvements in diabetes outcomes, particularly for those experiencing food insecurity and transportation barriers,” said lead author Eliza Short, Ph.D., RDN, a research scientist at the Center for Nutrition & Health Impact and a research collaborator with the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation.
Participants were recruited from five Northwest Arkansas pantries: Samaritan Community Centers in Springdale and Rogers, Feed 479, St. James Food Pantry and Feed Rogers. According to the study, those pantries serve large communities of Hispanic and Marshallese/Pacific Islander residents who face disproportionately high rates of food insecurity and chronic diet-related diseases. Additionally, the institute worked with Harps Food Store, United Way of Northwest Arkansas and DoorDash’s Project DASH program to complete the food deliveries.
Medically tailored food boxes and educational materials were delivered to each participant’s home once a week for 12 weeks. The food and education were designed in consultation with community advisors and refined with feedback from Spanish- and Marshallese-speaking community members to ensure materials were culturally appropriate and accessible. Education was available in English, Spanish and Marshallese languages, and included a handout and video for participants to watch. Participants also received weekly text messages with links to education materials.
“This study highlights the importance of delivering culturally appropriate diabetes education in multiple languages and formats, developed in close partnership with the communities we serve,” Short said.
With many Arkansans facing both food insecurity and barriers to health access, Food Is Medicine interventions offer a unique lifeline to helping families put food on the table and improve their well-being. The institute is also leading several other Food Is Medicine programs, including one to help pregnant women better manage gestational weight gain.
“Food Is Medicine approaches that ensure consistent access to diet- and nutrition-related resources are essential to improving health outcomes,” said Pearl McElfish, Ph.D., division director of the Institute for Community Health Innovation. “From supporting Arkansans managing diabetes to helping expectant mothers achieve healthy pregnancies, these interventions are vital to improving health outcomes and building a healthier future for all Arkansans.”
For more information about the institute and its initiatives to address health barriers and food insecurity, visit communityhealth.uams.edu.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,553 students and 902 medical residents and fellows. It is the state’s largest public employer with about 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###