Food might not qualify as medicine, but an inadequate amount of it could be a factor in repeated hospitalizations, according to a study by an Einstein Healthcare Network researcher.

The report, cited in several publications, found that many patients who are frequently hospitalized have “food insecurity”—often worried about having enough food and, at times, forced to go without eating or to reduce portions because they can’t afford to buy more.

“Without access to sufficient and healthful food, patients simply cannot care for their own health, cannot comply with diet regimens, cannot promote healing,” said Etienne Phipps, PhD (right), lead author on the study recently published in Population Health Management, a peer-reviewed journal about health care management and quality.

Editor-in-chief David Nash, MD, said the research would provide “important insights for healthcare providers who are working to help vulnerable populations avoid hospitalizations.”

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