{"id":69953,"date":"2025-10-14T12:44:58","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T16:44:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/medicine\/?p=69953"},"modified":"2025-10-14T12:44:58","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T16:44:58","slug":"unc-health-blue-cross-nc-study-offers-clinical-evidence-on-how-food-delivery-models-can-reduce-food-insecurity-and-improve-health-outcomes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/medicine\/news\/unc-health-blue-cross-nc-study-offers-clinical-evidence-on-how-food-delivery-models-can-reduce-food-insecurity-and-improve-health-outcomes\/","title":{"rendered":"UNC Health, Blue Cross NC Study Offers Clinical Evidence on How Food Delivery Models Can Reduce Food Insecurity and Improve Health Outcomes"},"content":{"rendered":"

UNC researchers, including Seth Berkowitz, MD, MPH, and Darren DeWalt, MD, MPH, found that a monthly $40 food subsidy improved blood pressure among people facing food insecurity. The results were published in JAMA Internal Medicine.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

A first-of-its-kind clinical study shows that offering modest monthly grocery cards for produce leads to improvements in blood pressure compared to distributing pre-selected boxes of healthy food.<\/p>\n

While the link between nutrition and improved health outcomes is well established, there had previously been limited clinical evidence to guide how best to deliver healthy food to individuals facing food insecurity. Funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) and conducted by researchers at UNC Health and UNC Schools of Medicine and Public Health, the Healthy Food First<\/a> trial offers compelling evidence that empowering people to choose the nutritious foods they want can drive meaningful improvements in health outcomes, helping more North Carolina families take steps toward healthier lifestyles.<\/p>\n

High blood pressure affects about half of all adults and can lead to serious heart problems. Even though many people get treatment, UNC researchers say more than 75% of Americans with high blood pressure still have readings that are too high, and food insecurity can cause those numbers to go up.<\/p>\n

\"Seth
Seth Berkowitz, MD, MPH<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cOur objective for the trial was to find an intervention that would improve blood pressure among participants who were experiencing food insecurity,\u201d explains Seth A. Berkowitz, MD, MPH<\/a>, study co-leader, associate professor in the UNC Division of General Medicine and Epidemiology, and a principal investigator at the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research. \u201cStudy participants could receive two options, either a $40 food subsidy or a box of pre-selected healthy food. We found that both groups saw a decrease in blood pressure, but the participants who received the food subsidy had even lower blood pressure than the participants who received the food box.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Need for Research<\/strong><\/p>\n

Food insecurity is prevalent across North Carolina. It affects more than 1.5 million North Carolinians, including one in five children. These individuals struggle to find the means to put food on the table, limiting their access to an active, healthy lifestyle.<\/p>\n

In 2021, Blue Cross NC data scientists and analysts joined forces with UNC Health Alliance<\/a>, UNC Health\u2019s statewide clinically integrated network and population health services organization, and a team of UNC researchers, to improve food security and diet-related chronic conditions. Blue Cross NC invested in the research to address food security among its at-risk members who also have hypertension.<\/p>\n

Recently, Blue Cross NC launched Health Through Food<\/a>, an innovative, multi-year, multi-pronged initiative designed to expand access to nutritious food, reduce chronic conditions, improve health outcomes and lower health care costs across North Carolina.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis research offers powerful insights into how we can more effectively address diet-related chronic conditions to meet the needs of North Carolinians,\u201d said Colleen Briggs, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at Blue Cross NC. \u201cAs we deliver on our Purpose to improve the health and well-being of our members and communities, we\u2019re investing in food-based programs that advance better health outcomes and drive affordability through smarter, preventive care.\u201d<\/p>\n

How Food Insecurity Affects Blood Pressure<\/u><\/p>\n