Clemson Rural Health (CRH) has launched Protein Rx, a new program focused on addressing malnutrition in adults through protein prescriptions and nutrition education. Protein Rx is the first program of its kind in South Carolina to offer an accessible, protein-based treatment plan for malnourished patients after hospitalization.
This unique, multidisciplinary health care approach combines medical and nutritional elements and utilizes food as medicine to improve the quality of life for individuals diagnosed with malnutrition.
Protein Rx aims to increase protein-specific food security among vulnerable populations in the Upstate, increase participants’ nutrition literacy and improve continuity of care through optimized nutrition interventions.
Brooke Brittain, registered dietician, certified health education specialist and associate director of food and nutrition security for Clemson Rural Health, leads CRH’s successful produce prescription program, Veggie Rx, and serves as principal investigator on the new project.
“A diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables can lower risk and incidence of chronic health conditions like diabetes, obesity and hypertension, but a protein-rich diet is necessary to treat malnutrition,” said Brittain. “Protein provides the nutrition needed for the body to heal and build tissue and muscle. During the pilot program, we will collect non-invasive health measures and assess outcomes through qualitative data collection to guide how we design and scale Protein Rx to benefit individuals in the future.”
In partnership with Bon Secours St. Francis Downtown, participants will have access to protein-rich food boxes twice a month for five months and virtual cooking demonstrations conducted by CRH registered dietician Abby Morningstar. Boxes will include shelf-stable foods such as nuts, seeds, canned chicken and salmon, supplements, protein shakes and grains, and participants will receive recipes and nutrition education materials with access to online video tutorials.
Morningstar, who also serves as program manager for Veggie Rx and Protein Rx, said malnutrition is diagnosed by a physician using the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral (ASPEN) criteria to examine muscle and fat wasting, food intake and overall weight status – and often contributes to other chronic health conditions and illnesses, resulting in subsequent hospitalizations.
“Protein Rx focuses on continuity of care by equipping patients with the tools they need to develop and sustain healthy behaviors long term,” said Morningstar. “Our goal is to educate participants, decrease hospital readmissions, prevent premature death and improve overall health, well-being and quality of life for individuals experiencing malnutrition.”
Additionally, Brittain and Morningstar are co-teaching a Creative Inquiry class in conjunction with Protein Rx to provide students with hands-on experience through the development and implementation of a public health and research campaign.
Clemson Rural Health is a part of the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences. Established in July 2016, CBSHS is a 21st-century, land-grant college that combines work in nine disciplines – communication; nursing; parks, recreation and tourism management; political science; psychology; public health sciences; sociology, anthropology and criminal justice – to further its mission of “building people and communities” in South Carolina and beyond.
