McNair Scholar 2023 Jenny Vang
Jenny Vang is a senior at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, majoring in Sociology - Health Care & Careers. Her research interests revolve around food insecurity, maternal and child health, and patient or provider interactions. Ms. Vang plans on getting her master’s in Medical Laboratory Science or Public Health.
I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. — Maya Angelou
Research project
Food Insecurity Interventions in Healthcare Systems - A Systematic Review
Abstract: Food insecurity can be defined as one’s lack of access to food sources and unmet nutritional needs due to social, economic, cultural, and geographic factors. Food insecurity interventions may offer access to healthy/fresh food, nutrition education, food vouchers, referrals, and direct cash while reducing food insecurity. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the effectiveness of US-based food insecurity interventions. English-language studies published after 2018 that addressed US-based food insecurity interventions that may be used by health systems with patients described as food insecure, low-income, or presumed low-income were included in the review. The main outcomes were food insecurity status, healthcare costs, utilization of intervention(s), and patient’s health with diet-related chronic disease or illnesses. Additional outcomes include changes in health behavior, self-efficacy, patient or provider acceptability and/or satisfaction. Insights of current food insecurity interventions can inform program development and reduce food insecurity in the US.
Faculty mentor
Mary Butler is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota Public Health and Co-Director of the Minnesota Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC). She has directed and managed over 40 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality review projects, specializing in complex patients and complex interventions. Her areas of interest include scientific evidence standards, research design and systematic review methodology, evidence-based or evidence-informed healthcare, and complex patients and complex interventions. Prior to her academic career, Dr. Butler worked as an investment professional for a financial services firm, managing a $45 million portfolio.
Sallee Brandt is a Researcher at the University of Minnesota Public Health, Minnesota Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC). She has a master’s degree in public health with a major in epidemiology. She is also a part of the Center for Learning Health Systems Science’s Evidence Synthesis Unit - a collaboration between Fairview and the University of Minnesota.
Amy M. Claussen is a Medical Librarian at the University of Minnesota Public Health, Minnesota Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC). Amy was an embedded librarian for a NIH U01 multi-center research consortium and worked as a reference librarian at the Health Sciences Library, University of Minnesota.