MSU scientist improves health for Flint children through better nutrition
May 8, 2018 - MSUToday
Michigan State University scientist Amy Saxe-Custack has received a $500,000 grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.
Saxe-Custack, assistant professor of food science and human nutrition in the MSU College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and nutrition director of the MSU-Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative, or PPHI, will use her grant to encourage children in Flint to eat healthier.
“Nutrition is an important part of all of this,” Saxe-Custack said.
As a registered dietician, she worked with Mona Hanna-Attisha, director of PPHI, to give “prescriptions” to children and families that were redeemable for fruits and vegetables at the Flint Farmers’ Market. Initially, each child seen at the Hurley Children’s Clinic, in the same building as the Farmers’ Market, was given a $10 voucher.
“We heard from parents that they were holding onto the vouchers until they had $30 or so and using them when their food dollars were running low,” Saxe-Custack said. “We hadn’t anticipated that.”
As a result, supporters of the program agreed to raise the vouchers to $15. At the urging of parents, MSU and Hurley Children’s Hospital created Flint Kids Cook, a cooking and nutrition class for children at the Flint Farmers’ Market.
With the new grant, the food prescription program will expand to a second pediatrics clinic in Flint. The vouchers will also be redeemable at the Flint Fresh Mobile Market. Flint Kids Cook classes also will be offered at a second location in northwest Flint.
The expansion of the program is particularly critical now, because proper nutrition can help mitigate health problems associated with lead exposure from Flint’s water supply.
“The water crisis happened in an area where access to healthy food has been a continuing problem,” Saxe-Custack said. “Essentially, we’re in a food desert in Flint. Ultimately, what we’d like to see is these kids eating more fruits and vegetables.”