Medically Tailored Meals for Cardiovascular Health Equity

Description

This randomized clinical trial (RCT) will investigate novel approaches to enhance effectiveness, engagement, reach, and cost-effectiveness of medically tailored meals (MTM) programs for promoting cardiovascular health equity, focusing on economically disadvantaged New York City neighborhoods with a disparate burden of multiple cardiometabolic diseases. The main questions the RCT aims to answer are: 1. Does enhancing MTM programs, with culturally relevant cardiovascular health curriculum (including educational sessions on heart health, healthy diet, cooking demonstrations, recipes, gift bags with healthy ingredients, and addressing social needs) enhance program engagement and effectiveness in improving short-term healthy eating behaviors and clinical outcomes (HbA1c and blood pressure) among individuals with type 2 diabetes and elevated blood pressure who currently qualify for MTM programs? 2. Is the MTM program coupled with the Cardiovascular Health (CVH) curriculum effective for improving healthy eating behaviors and clinical outcomes (HbA1c and blood pressure) among individuals with type 2 diabetes and elevated blood pressure who do not currently quality for MTM programs and is a gradual reduction of MTM dosing an effective and sustainable approach for expanding reach of these programs? To answer question 1, 100 participants with type 2 diabetes and elevated blood pressure who currently qualify for MTM programs will be randomized into a group that receives the standard MTM program (10 MTMs/week for 8 months) or a group that receives the standard program plus the cardiovascular health curriculum. To answer question 2, 100 participants with type 2 diabetes and elevated blood pressure who do not currently qualify for MTM programs will be randomized into a group that receives the standard MTM program (10 MTMs/week for 8 months) plus the cardiovascular health curriculum or a group that receives standard MTM program for the first 3 months followed by a gradual reduction in dosing of the MTMs by 50% over the remaining 5 months plus the CVH curriculum. All participants will have their HbA1c and blood pressure measured and complete questionnaires about their diet quality, health and lifestyle behaviors, and program engagement and implementation at baseline, 3 months, and 8 months. (Objectives)

Conditions

Diet, Healthy, HbA1c, Blood Pressure

Study Overview

Study Details

Study overview

This randomized clinical trial (RCT) will investigate novel approaches to enhance effectiveness, engagement, reach, and cost-effectiveness of medically tailored meals (MTM) programs for promoting cardiovascular health equity, focusing on economically disadvantaged New York City neighborhoods with a disparate burden of multiple cardiometabolic diseases. The main questions the RCT aims to answer are: 1. Does enhancing MTM programs, with culturally relevant cardiovascular health curriculum (including educational sessions on heart health, healthy diet, cooking demonstrations, recipes, gift bags with healthy ingredients, and addressing social needs) enhance program engagement and effectiveness in improving short-term healthy eating behaviors and clinical outcomes (HbA1c and blood pressure) among individuals with type 2 diabetes and elevated blood pressure who currently qualify for MTM programs? 2. Is the MTM program coupled with the Cardiovascular Health (CVH) curriculum effective for improving healthy eating behaviors and clinical outcomes (HbA1c and blood pressure) among individuals with type 2 diabetes and elevated blood pressure who do not currently quality for MTM programs and is a gradual reduction of MTM dosing an effective and sustainable approach for expanding reach of these programs? To answer question 1, 100 participants with type 2 diabetes and elevated blood pressure who currently qualify for MTM programs will be randomized into a group that receives the standard MTM program (10 MTMs/week for 8 months) or a group that receives the standard program plus the cardiovascular health curriculum. To answer question 2, 100 participants with type 2 diabetes and elevated blood pressure who do not currently qualify for MTM programs will be randomized into a group that receives the standard MTM program (10 MTMs/week for 8 months) plus the cardiovascular health curriculum or a group that receives standard MTM program for the first 3 months followed by a gradual reduction in dosing of the MTMs by 50% over the remaining 5 months plus the CVH curriculum. All participants will have their HbA1c and blood pressure measured and complete questionnaires about their diet quality, health and lifestyle behaviors, and program engagement and implementation at baseline, 3 months, and 8 months. (Objectives)

Enhancing, Culturally Adapting, and Expanding Medically Tailored Meals Programs to Promote Cardiovascular Health Equity

Medically Tailored Meals for Cardiovascular Health Equity

Condition
Diet, Healthy
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

New York

Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, New York, United States, 10032

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility Criteria

  • 1. Qualifying type 2 diabetes diagnosis (typically physician referred to the program due to more advanced disease with uncontrolled diabetes and complications)
  • 2. Hypertension diagnosis (systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 130 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 80 mmHg) or elevated blood pressure (defined as systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 120 mmHg)
  • 1. Cancer diagnosis
  • 2. Undergoing cancer treatment
  • 3. Non-English or non-Spanish speaking
  • 4. Not cognitively able to complete study requirements
  • 5. Severe psychiatric disorders
  • 6. Inability to provide informed consent

Ages Eligible for Study

20 Years to

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Collaborators and Investigators

Columbia University,

Nour Makarem, PhD, FAHA, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Columbia University

Study Record Dates

2025-12