Teen Food Insecurity: Finding Solutions through the Voices of Teens

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-23
Author(s):  
Mecca Burris ◽  
Sarah Bradley ◽  
Kayla Rykiel ◽  
David Himmelgreen
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Access ◽  
School Administration ◽  
Social Experiences ◽  
Portion Sizes ◽  
Nutritional Needs ◽  
Negative Perceptions ◽  
Limited Food ◽  
Illegal Activities

Teens are vulnerable to food insecurity for both biological and social reasons. This study aimed to better understand the factors that underpin teen food insecurity and the coping strategies teens employ when faced with limited food access and hunger. A sociodemographic survey including the USDA's Self-Administered Food Security Survey Module for Children Ages 12 Years and Older, focus groups, and photovoice were used to collect data on the demographics, food insecurity prevalence, and experiences of food insecurity among thirty-eight teens from five different communities in Tampa Bay, Florida. Results showed that approximately 44 percent of teens were food insecure. Factors that associated with food insecurity included: (1) negative perceptions of food quality, food options, school administration, food waste, and food assistance utilization; (2) school and programming issues including the timing of meals, portion sizes, and regulations associated with food and access; (3) stigma and bullying; and (4) socioeconomics. Teens relied on their communities (e.g., friends, churches), illegal activities (e.g., stealing), cheap and unhealthy foods, jobs, or their teachers to cope with food insecurity. The findings highlight significant opportunities for food security interventions that target the unique nutritional needs and social experiences of adolescents. The study was funded by the county Juvenile Welfare Board.

Using participatory and mixed-methods approaches in GIS to develop a Place-Based Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Index

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 1181-1205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahbubur R Meenar
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Vulnerability Index ◽  
Community Food Security ◽  
Participatory Gis ◽  
Analytical Process

This paper discusses the development of a Place-Based Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Index (PFIVI), which incorporates six indicators and 30 variables. It also presents an application of this Index within the context of Philadelphia, a postindustrial U.S. city. The paper argues that in order to thoroughly measure a multidimensional socioeconomic problem that is tied to the built environment (e.g., food insecurity and vulnerability), the use of participatory and mixed-methods approaches in GIS (e.g., participatory GIS or PGIS) may produce more comprehensive results compared to other commonly used methods. This paper makes an intervention in the food environment literature, which tends to analyze food access in a narrow way, by applying a methodology conceptually grounded in community food security and operationalized through a PGIS project. It also contributes to still-evolving PGIS methodologies by directly engaging stakeholders in a complicated GIS-based analytical process.

scholarly journals Perceptions of the Food Environment and Access among Predominantly Black Low-Income Residents of Rural Louisiana Communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (15) ◽  
pp. 5340
Author(s):  
Denise Holston ◽  
Jessica Stroope ◽  
Matthew Greene ◽  
Bailey Houghtaling
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Access ◽  
The United States ◽  
Grocery Store ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Nutrition Assistance

Food insecurity in rural settings is complex and not fully understood, especially from the perspective of low-income and Black residents. The goal of this study was to use qualitative methods to better understand experiences with food access and perceptions of the food environment among low-income, predominately Black rural Louisiana residents in the United States. Data were collected from focus group discussions (FGD) and focus group intake forms. Study participants were all rural residents eligible to receive at least one nutrition assistance program. FGD questions focused on perceptions of the food environment, with an emphasis on food access. Participants (n = 44) were predominately Black and female. Over half (n = 25) reported running out of food before the end of the month. Major themes included: store choice, outshopping, methods of acquiring foods other than the grocery store, and food insecurity. Concerns around price, quality, and transportation emerged as factors negatively impacting food security. Understanding residents’ perceptions and experiences is necessary to inform contextually appropriate and feasible policy and practice interventions that address the physical environment and social conditions that shape the broader physical food environment in order to achieve equitable food access and food security.

scholarly journals Assessing the relevance of neighbourhood characteristics to the household food security of low-income Toronto families

2010 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1139-1148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon I Kirkpatrick ◽  
Valerie Tarasuk
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Neighbourhood Social Capital ◽  
Neighbourhood Characteristics

AbstractObjectiveAlthough the sociodemographic characteristics of food-insecure households have been well documented, there has been little examination of neighbourhood characteristics in relation to this problem. In the present study we examined the association between household food security and neighbourhood features including geographic food access and perceived neighbourhood social capital.DesignCross-sectional survey and mapping of discount supermarkets and community food programmes.SettingTwelve high-poverty neighbourhoods in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.SubjectsRespondents from 484 low-income families who had children and who lived in rental accommodations.ResultsFood insecurity was pervasive, affecting two-thirds of families with about a quarter categorized as severely food insecure, indicative of food deprivation. Food insecurity was associated with household factors including income and income source. However, food security did not appear to be mitigated by proximity to food retail or community food programmes, and high rates of food insecurity were observed in neighbourhoods with good geographic food access. While low perceived neighbourhood social capital was associated with higher odds of food insecurity, this effect did not persist once we accounted for household sociodemographic factors.ConclusionsOur findings raise questions about the extent to which neighbourhood-level interventions to improve factors such as food access or social cohesion can mitigate problems of food insecurity that are rooted in resource constraints. In contrast, the results reinforce the importance of household-level characteristics and highlight the need for interventions to address the financial constraints that underlie problems of food insecurity.

scholarly journals A qualitative inquiry of food insecurity in Belize

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Laurel Dolin Stevenson ◽  
Melissa M. Reznar ◽  
Elizabeth Onye ◽  
Lynna Bendali Amor ◽  
Andre Joel Lopez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Family Composition ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Education And Employment ◽  
Cayo District

Abstract Objective: To explore and provide contextual meaning around issues surrounding food insecurity, namely, factors influencing food access, as one domain of food security. Design: A community-based, qualitative inquiry using semi-structured face-to-face interviews was conducted as part of a larger sequential mixed-methods study. Setting: Cayo District, Belize, May 2019-August 2019. Participants: Thirty English-speaking individuals (8 males, 22 females) between the ages of 18-70, with varying family composition residing within the Cayo District. Results: Participants describe a complex interconnectedness between family- and individual-level barriers to food access. Specifically, family composition, income, education, and employment influence individuals’ ability to afford and access food for themselves or their families. Participants also cite challenges with transportation and distance to food sources and educational opportunities as barriers to accessing food. Conclusion: These findings provide insight around food security and food access barriers in a middle-income country and provide avenues for further study and potential interventions. Increased and sustained investment in primary and secondary education, including programs to support enrollment, should be a priority to decreasing food insecurity. Attention to building public infrastructure may also ease burdens around accessing foods.

scholarly journals Enabling trade across borders and food security in Africa

Food Security ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1121-1140
Author(s):  
Isaac Bonuedi ◽  
Kofi Kamasa ◽  
Eric Evans Osei Opoku
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Instrumental Variable ◽  
Energy Supply ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Dietary Energy ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Trade Facilitation ◽  
Food Deficit ◽  
Daunting Challenge

Abstract Widespread food insecurity remains a daunting challenge in Africa, despite significant gains in global efforts to eliminate hunger over the last three decades. This paper examines the effects of easing trade across borders – through reductions in documents, time, and costs to export and import – on food security outcomes in Africa. To control for endogeneity, this paper employs the first-difference instrumental variable estimator based on panel data covering 45 African countries over the period 2006–2015. The results reveal that poor trade facilitation constitutes a significant driver of food insecurity in Africa. In particular, ineffective trade facilitation is associated with significant increments in the prevalence of undernourishment and depth of food deficit, as well as reductions in dietary energy supply adequacy and access to sanitation facilities. The results show that food availability and food access are significantly hampered by higher documentation requirements and lengthier export and import times. The results suggest that reductions in delays from documentary and border compliance promise to be the most effective trade facilitation reforms to enhance food security in Africa.

scholarly journals Measurement of the dimensions of food insecurity in developed countries: a systematic literature review

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (16) ◽  
pp. 2887-2896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Ashby ◽  
Suzanne Kleve ◽  
Rebecca McKechnie ◽  
Claire Palermo
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Food Utilization ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Over Time

AbstractObjectiveFood insecurity is a salient health issue comprised of four dimensions – food access, availability, utilization and stability over time. The aim of the present study was to conduct a systematic literature review to identify all multi-item tools that measure food insecurity and explore which of the dimensions they assess.DesignFive databases were searched (CENTRAL, CINAHL plus, EMBASE, MEDLINE, TRIP) for studies published in English since 1999. Inclusion criteria included human studies using multi-item tools to measure food security and studies conducted in developed countries. Manuscripts describing the US Department of Agriculture Food Security Survey Module, that measures ‘food access’, were excluded due to wide acceptance of the validity and reliability of this instrument. Two authors extracted data and assessed the quality of the included studies. Data were summarized against the dimensions of food insecurity.SettingA systematic review of the literature.SubjectsThe majority of tools were developed in the USA and had been used in different age groups and cultures.ResultsEight multi-item tools were identified. All of the tools assessed the ‘food access’ dimension and two partially assessed the dimensions ‘food utilization’ and ‘stability over time’, respectively. ‘Food availability’ was not assessed by existing tools.ConclusionsCurrent tools available for measuring food insecurity are subjective, limited in scope, with a majority assessing only one dimension of food insecurity (access). To more accurately assess the true burden of food insecurity, tools should be adapted or developed to assess all four dimensions of food insecurity.

scholarly journals Assessing food insecurity among hospitalized patients at an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marium Husain ◽  
Electra Paskett ◽  
Alice Hinton ◽  
Emmanuel Boateng ◽  
Nicole Leonard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Hospitalized Patients ◽  
Comprehensive Cancer Center ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Insurance Status ◽  
Patients With Cancer ◽  
Zip Code

Abstract PURPOSE: To evaluate the prevalence of food insecurity among patients with cancer and to validate the Hunger Vital Sign (HVS) instrument compared to the standard-of-care USDA 18-item Household Food Security Scale (HFSS). The secondary objective was to assess disparities in food access based on race, zip code and insurance status.PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with cancer who were hospitalized at The Ohio State University James Comprehensive Cancer Center (OSU-CCC) were identified to participate by the Department of Social Work. Each patient completed the HVS and the 18-item HFSS. The prevalence of food insecurity was estimated and 95% Wilson score confidence intervals were calculated. The agreement between the prevalence of food insecurity as measured by the two different instruments were compared through the use of McNemar’s test. Disparities in food access based on race, zip code and insurance status were further assessed with Fisher exact tests. RESULTS: One hundred and twelve patients participated. We found that the HVS identified food insecurity in 14.3% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 9.1, 21.7) of participants, whereas the 18-item HFSS identified 8.6% (95% CI: 4.8, 15.1) of participants. However, there was no significant difference between food insecurity as measured by the HVS and the 18-item HFSS (p = 0.289). There were also no significant differences in food insecurity based on race, insurance status or geographical location of patients.CONCLUSION: The HVS is an alternative to the 18-item HFSS as a valid tool to assess food security amongst hospitalized patients with cancer.

scholarly journals Cartography And Management Of Food-Insecure Areas In Garut

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 458-463
Author(s):  
Rina Rifqie Mariana, Mohammad Efendi, Malizal Widaningsih
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Availability ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
System 2 ◽  
Access To Food ◽  
Food Staples

The objective of this research was to investigate the situation of food insecurity and its handling in Garut District, West Java, Indonesia. An analysis based on the national food insecurity indicators and the Food Insecurity Atlas has identified food-insecure areas, resulting in nine indicators reflecting the three pillars of food security, i.e.,food availability, access to food, and use of food. Results on food insecurity status show that priority 1 belongs to the nine villages under study 1. The local government has imposed five policies to address food insecurity, i.e., 1) setting up a monthly program called the Food and Nutrition Security System, 2) direct assistance in the form of food staples, 3) developing the Food Security and Vulnerability Atlas, 4) improving food access, and 5) developing self-sufficient villages. These attempts are quite efficient. After three years, more areas have moved from Priority 1 to Priority 3 in food security.

scholarly journals Food insecurity during COVID-19: A multi-state research collaborative

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith T. Niles ◽  
Emily H. Belarmino ◽  
Farryl Bertmann ◽  
Erin Biehl ◽  
Francesco Acciai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Food System ◽  
Longitudinal Research ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Health Decision ◽  
State Research

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has had profound impacts on the global food system, supply chain, and employment, which, in turn, has created numerous challenges to food access and food security. Early exploratory studies suggest significant increases in food insecurity in the United States. Comprehensive longitudinal research across multiple locations is needed to understand the range of impacts and responses at the household level and to improve preparedness for future events. This protocol paper outlines the formation of the National Food Access and COVID research Team (NFACT), a collaborative, interdisciplinary, multi-state research effort that will utilize common measurement tools, codebooks, code, data aggregation tools, and outreach materials to collectively examine and communicate the effect of COVID-19 on household food access and security. NFACT is led by an executive committee of researchers from four institutions, with additional NFACT collaborating institutions across more than a dozen states. A survey was developed by the NFACT executive team in March 2020, with additional refinements in May 2020, using both existing validated questions and new original questions, which were piloted and validated in Vermont. The project provides suggestive guidance for recruitment, and is designed to allow each study site to adopt recruitment strategies that meet their budget and needs. Primary outcomes of interest include food security status, employment status, food access challenges and concerns, dietary intake, and use of food assistance programs. Additional outcomes assess emotional eating, stigma, COVID-19 perceptions and experiences, and pro-environmental purchasing behaviors. This protocol and the establishment of NFACT provide important advancements in COVID-19 and food security research by generating harmonized data and assessing comparable outcomes across geographies and time. The collaborative, open-source approach makes research tools available to teams who might not have the resources to design their own tools, and can enable streamlined data collection, large-scale comparative analyses, and cost savings through reduced administrative tasks. The project has contributed to building new networks between and within states. Enabling facilitation and implementation of instruments in study sites has provided flexibility and meaningful opportunity for local stakeholder engagement and relevant outreach for informed public health decision-making.

scholarly journals Invisible and Insecure in Rural America: Cultivating Dignity in Local Food Security Initiatives

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3109
Author(s):  
Amy Herrington ◽  
Tamara L. Mix
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Access ◽  
The United States ◽  
Role Taking ◽  
Structural Inequality ◽  
Daily Experiences ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Advanced Capitalist ◽  
Structural Inequalities

The United States’ neoliberal approach to governance promotes structural inequalities that shape individuals’ sense of dignity. We employ qualitative in-depth interviews and ethnographic field study to examine dignity construction via daily experiences with food access and foodways. Situating our study within a rural Oklahoma community with high food insecurity rates, we ask: How does structural inequality impact individuals’ daily experiences with dignity construction? How is a sense of dignity influenced by daily experiences with food access and foodways within the context of community-based food initiatives? We address structural inequality and the resulting social hierarchy of food security, focusing on three overlapping social arenas—relational, individual, and institutional. Relational interactions in food access spaces promote dignity when interactions are characterized by symmetrical social encounters. Dignity in the individual arena centers on foodways, cultural or familial traditions, and role-taking as a food provider. In the institutional arena, dignity is influenced by structures and operational approaches. Our research contributes to literatures informing policies and strategies employed by community-led, rights-based food aid systems in advanced capitalist nations. Efforts prioritize and promote human dignity, despite neoliberal, advanced capitalist governments’ failure to address structural inequalities as a root cause of food insecurity.

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