756 - Feeding Engagement, A Food Insecurity Curriculum

Publication Number: 3732.756

Tamara L. Gayle, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, United States; Matthew Magyar, Children's Natioanl Hospital, Washington, DC, United States; Aarenee Greene, Children's National Health System, Reston, VA, United States; Olanrewaju Falusi, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States

Background: In 2023, one in eight U.S. households with children experienced food insecurity (FI). While health professions education increasingly includes FI training, most curricula remain classroom-based. Addressing this complex social issue requires experiential, community-embedded learning with organizations serving families in need.

Objective: The objectives of this study were to identify the role of community partners within a curriculum focused on advocacy and food insecurity, and to assess participants’ outcomes following engagement in a multifaceted, community-based curriculum.

Design/Methods: At Children’s National Hospital, PGY-1 pediatric residents participate in a daylong experiential learning program at the Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB), designed using Kolb’s experiential learning framework. The session includes service learning in a community garden or distribution center, discussions on sustainable food systems, and a simulation highlighting barriers to food access such as transportation, literacy, and immigration status. The day concludes with a faculty-facilitated debrief on the clinician’s advocacy role.
Evaluation measures included pre-, post-, and 6–12-month follow-up surveys assessing knowledge guided by the American Academy of Pediatrics Food Security Policy (AAP), attitudes, and satisfaction.

Results: From 2016–2024, 306 residents completed pre-surveys, 229 completed immediate post-surveys, and 28 completed 6–12-month follow-ups. Advocacy-related attitudes improved significantly from pre (mean 3.5/5) to post 6-12 month follow-up (mean 4.5/5), a mean increase of 24.4% (range 7.8–54.2%; P < 0.001 for each domain). Mean satisfaction with the FI curriculum was 4.6/5. One participant described a sustained practice change: “I started using the food insecurity questions more frequently and provided emergency options for families when WIC and SNAP weren’t sufficient.”

Conclusion(s): Community-based learning early in residency can enhance self-efficacy in addressing food insecurity and sustain practice change months later. Partnership with CAFB deepened resident knowledge of local food systems and advocacy opportunities. Future refinements will include stronger integration of the AAP Food Security Policy to reinforce foundational knowledge. This curriculum offers a replicable model for residency programs seeking to build experiential advocacy training through community collaboration.

Attitude Trends Over Time
Figure1PASIAD.pdfAverage Likert-scale scores increased across all domains from pre- to post-curriculum, reflecting improved understanding of pediatricians’ advocacy roles, local resources, and integration strategies