HMN 2026: How Caregivers of children hospitalized for cancer, blood disorders are at risk for food insecurity, researchers find

Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine found caregivers of children hospitalized for cancer and blood disorders may experience food insecurity during their child’s stay, even if they don’t face that issue at home, and it could be linked to longer stays.

The study, published this spring in Pediatric Blood & Cancer, highlights an overlooked issue, “inpatient food insecurity,” or when families don’t have enough to eat while their child is in the hospital because of the hardships that time might create, like missed work or additional expenses.

“We found caregivers who otherwise wouldn’t be food insecure at home had trouble accessing food when their child was in the hospital,” said Joanna Robles, M.D., assistant professor of hematology and oncology in pediatrics at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. “These are not only times of stress for a family, but they incur additional expenses that go beyond medical bills.”

The study examined survey responses from more than 300 caregivers of children hospitalized in 2022 and 2023 at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Brenner Children’s Hospital and found nearly 1 in 5 caregivers of children admitted to pediatric hematology-oncology units reported experiencing food insecurity during their child’s hospital stay. Most of them—more than 70%—said they did not experience food insecurity at home outside hospitalization.

Food insecurity can also affect the overall outcome of the sick child, the study found. Children whose caregivers experienced food insecurity during the hospitalization stayed in the hospital one-third longer on average compared with those who did not. These children also had higher rates of readmission within 30 days of discharge.

“This shows the value in that additional screening question,” Robles said. “Not only should we assess if a patient’s family struggles with access to food, but we should also specifically screen during the hospital stay and offer help in real time, like meals or other financial assistance.”

Robles said additional research is needed to better understand how inpatient food insecurity affects clinical outcomes and whether targeted support, such as caregiver meal assistance, transportation support or broader financial screening, can reduce hospital length of stay or readmissions.

To address inpatient food insecurity at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Brenner Children’s Hospital, families who need help are offered three free hot meals a day while their child is in the hospital, in addition to a 24/7 food pantry with shelf-stable items. Families are also referred to state and federal assistance programs with the ability to apply onsite to ease the process.

“Families go through a lot when a child is sick,” she added. “If we can help provide the basics, they can focus on their child’s health, and it could even improve outcomes.”

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