Complexity of Food Preparation and Food Security Status: In Low-income Young Women

2011 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Engler-Stringer ◽  
Bernadette Stringer ◽  
Ted Haines
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Food Preparation ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Baked Goods ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
Semistructured Interviews ◽  
Cooking Practices ◽  
Exposure Variable ◽  
Low Income Women

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore whether preparing more complex meals was associated with higher food security status. Methods: This mixed-methods, community-based study involved the use of semistructured interviews to examine the cooking practices of a group of young, low-income women in Montreal. Fifty participants aged 18 to 35 were recruited at 10 locations in five low-income neighbourhoods. Food security status was the main outcome measure and the main exposure variable, “complex food preparation,” combined the preparation of three specific food types (soups, sauces, and baked goods) using basic ingredients. Results: Low-income women preparing a variety of meals using basic ingredients at least three times a week were more than twice as likely to be food secure as were women preparing more complex meals less frequently. Conclusions: Women who prepared more complex meals more frequently had higher food security. Whether this means that preparing more complex foods results in greater food security remains unclear, as this was an exploratory study.

scholarly journals Lifecourse, immigrant status and acculturation in food purchasing and preparation among low-income mothers

2007 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 396-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara Dubowitz ◽  
Dolores Acevedo-Garcia ◽  
Judy Salkeld ◽  
Ana Cristina Lindsay ◽  
SV Subramanian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Metropolitan Areas ◽  
Food Preparation ◽  
Immigrant Status ◽  
Food Purchasing ◽  
Study Results ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Low Income Women ◽  
Access To Food

AbstractObjectivesThis study investigates how lifecourse, immigrant status and acculturation, and neighbourhood of residence influence food purchasing and preparation among low-income women with children, living in the USA. This research sought to understand physical and economic access to food, from both ‘individual’ and ‘community’ perspectives.DesignThis study used qualitative methodology (focus groups) to examine the mechanisms and pathways of food preparation and purchasing within the context of daily life activity for US- and foreign-born women, living in the USA. The study methodology analysed notes and verbatim transcripts, summarised recurring responses and identified new themes in the discussions.Setting and subjectsA total of 44 women were purposively sampled from two metropolitan areas in Massachusetts, USA, based on (1) neighbourhood of residence and (2) primary language spoken. All focus groups were conducted in community health centres and community centres co-located with offices of the special supplemental nutritional programme for Women, Infants, and Children.ResultsAnalysis of key response themes suggested that scarcity of food and physical access to food purchasing points did not influence food purchasing and preparation as much as (1) limited time for food shopping, cooking and family activities; and (2) challenges in transportation to stores and childcare. The study results demonstrated differing attitudes toward food acquisition and preparation between immigrant and US-born women and between women who lived in two metropolitan areas in the western and eastern regions of the state of Massachusetts, USA.ConclusionsThe findings illustrate ‘hidden’ constraints that need to be captured in measures of physical and economic access and availability of food. US policies and programmes that aim to improve access, availability and diet quality would benefit from considering the social context of food preparation and purchasing, and the residential environments of low-income women and families.

scholarly journals Soup kitchen users' social representations of healthy eating associated with their household food security status

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-240
Author(s):  
Isabel Cristina BENTO ◽  
Fernanda Martins SOBRINHO ◽  
Mery Natali Silva ABREU ◽  
Maria Flávia GAZZINELLI ◽  
Simone Cardoso Lisboa PEREIRA
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Social Representation ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
Belo Horizonte

Objective: To verify whether what users of soup kitchens in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, think about a healthy diet and the challenges they face to eat healthy are associated with their household food security status. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1,656 users of soup kitchens in Belo Horizonte. Socioeconomic and household food security data, and healthy-eating discourses were collected by a semi-structured questionnaire. The data were submitted to descriptive analyses for constructing frequency distribution tables, and to univariate analysis. Discourse analysis was based on the social representation theory. Results: To cut, reduce, avoid, not eat, eat less, and decrease carbohydrates, salt, meats, various beverages, and other foods are the most frequent changes (71.4%) that food-secure users have made or intend to make. Food-insecure users intended to eat more fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and other foods (34.4%). The main obstacles food-secure and food-insecure users face to adopt a healthier diet are lack of time (82.9%) and low income (53.5%), respectively (p<0.001). Conclusion: What users of soup kitchens in Belo Horizonte think about food and the obstacles they face to adopt a healthier diet are related to their household food security status. The results provide valuable data for effective proposals of food and nutrition education, which should act on the producers of subjectivity in this group and consider this group's food and nutrition security status.

scholarly journals Breakfast-Skipping and Selecting Low-Nutritional-Quality Foods for Breakfast Are Common among Low-Income Urban Children, Regardless of Food Security Status

2016 ◽  
Vol 146 (3) ◽  
pp. 630-636 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly Dykstra ◽  
Adam Davey ◽  
Jennifer O Fisher ◽  
Heather Polonsky ◽  
Sandra Sherman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Urban Children ◽  
Breakfast Skipping ◽  
Food Security Status

Household Food Security Status Is Associated with Anemia Risk at Age 18 Months among Low-Income Infants in Massachusetts

2016 ◽  
Vol 116 (11) ◽  
pp. 1760-1766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Metallinos-Katsaras ◽  
Rachel Colchamiro ◽  
Sari Edelstein ◽  
Elizabeth Siu
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Food Security Status

scholarly journals The Relative Reinforcing Value of Cookies Is Higher Among Head Start Preschoolers With Obesity

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally G. Eagleton ◽  
Jennifer L. Temple ◽  
Kathleen L. Keller ◽  
Michele E. Marini ◽  
Jennifer S. Savage
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Head Start ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Reward Sensitivity ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Child Characteristics ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
Reinforcing Value

The relative reinforcing value (RRV) of food measures how hard someone will work for a high-energy-dense (HED) food when an alternative reward is concurrently available. Higher RRV for HED food has been linked to obesity, yet this association has not been examined in low-income preschool-age children. Further, the development of individual differences in the RRV of food in early childhood is poorly understood. This cross-sectional study tested the hypothesis that the RRV of HED (cookies) to low-energy-dense (LED; fruit) food would be greater in children with obesity compared to children without obesity in a sample of 130 low-income 3- to 5-year-olds enrolled in Head Start classrooms in Central Pennsylvania. In addition, we examined individual differences in the RRV of food by child characteristics (i.e., age, sex, and reward sensitivity) and food security status. The RRV of food was measured on concurrent progressive-ratio schedules of reinforcement. RRV outcomes included the last schedule reached (breakpoint) for cookies (cookie Pmax) and fruit (fruit Pmax), the breakpoint for cookies in proportion to the total breakpoint for cookies and fruit combined (RRV cookie), and response rates (responses per minute). Parents completed the 18-item food security module to assess household food security status and the Behavioral Activation System scale to assess reward sensitivity. Pearson’s correlations and mixed models assessed associations between continuous and discrete child characteristics with RRV outcomes, respectively. Two-way mixed effects interaction models examined age and sex as moderators of the association between RRV and Body Mass Index z-scores (BMIZ). Statistical significance was defined as p &lt; 0.05. Children with obesity (17%) had a greater cookie Pmax [F (1, 121) = 4.95, p = 0.03], higher RRV cookie [F (1, 121) = 4.28, p = 0.04], and responded at a faster rate for cookies [F (1, 121) = 17.27, p &lt; 0.001] compared to children without obesity. Children with higher cookie response rates had higher BMIZ (r = 0.26, p &lt; 0.01); and RRV cookie was positively associated with BMIZ for older children (5-year-olds: t = 2.40, p = 0.02) and boys (t = 2.55, p = 0.01), but not younger children or girls. The RRV of food did not differ by household food security status. Low-income children with obesity showed greater motivation to work for cookies than fruit compared to their peers without obesity. The RRV of HED food may be an important contributor to increased weight status in boys and future research is needed to better understand developmental trajectories of the RRV of food across childhood.

scholarly journals Food Security Status and Overweight/Obesity Among 2- to 5-Year-Old Boys and Girls in a Community-Based Clinic

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-122
Author(s):  
Trina L. Gipson-Jones ◽  
LaToya J. OʼNeal ◽  
Jylana L. Sheats ◽  
Roland J. Thorpe ◽  
Bettina M. Beech ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Food Security Status

scholarly journals Exploring the Relationship Between Attendance at USDA Summer Food Service Program Sites and Baseline Household Food Security Status: Results from the Project SWEAT Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 204-204
Author(s):  
Laura Hopkins ◽  
Cara Pannell ◽  
Carolyn Gunther
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Service Program ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Food Security Status ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Objectives Explore the relationship between attendance at USDA Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sites and baseline household food security status. Methods Two elementary schools in low-income urban neighborhoods of Columbus, OH were recruited. Families with children at these schools in grades pre-kindergarten through fifth were invited to participate. Caregivers completed a demographic survey at the end of school year 1 (baseline [t0]). Household food security was assessed at t0 using the USDA 6-item Short Form Food Security Module and based on responses participants were categorized as living in high marginal food security (HMFS), low food security (LFS), or very low food security (VLFS) households. Child attendance at USDA SFSP sites was collected via weekly text messages to caregivers using the online TextIt© platform. ANOVA was conducted to determine differences in attendance level by household food security status. Results 113 children representing 78 families enrolled. Mean age was 7.10 ± 0.21 yr, 79.65% were African American, 72.73% were low-income, and mean annual income was $28,222. Approximately 27% of families (n = 21) reported living in LFS (n = 10, 14.82%) or VLFS (n = 11, 12.10%) households. Overall mean attendance at summer programming was 10.40 ± 1.43 days (out of 50 possible days) and attendance by household food security status was 10.51 ± 1.61 (HMFS), 19.00 ± 6.15 (LFS), and 5.70 ± 2.85 (VLFS) days with a significant difference (P = 0.04) between LFS and VLFS households. Conclusions Children in VLFS (vs HMFS and LFS) households, who are at increased risk for hunger during the summertime window of risk, are attending sites offering the USDA SFSP least frequently. Future research and programmatic efforts should be targeted at children from the most vulnerable households to ensure food security during the summertime window of risk. Funding Sources USDA NC-NECE.

Injury and Psychiatric Disorder in Low-Income Women Experiencing Bidirectional Intimate Partner Violence

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monic P. Behnken ◽  
Yinghui Duan ◽  
Jeff R. Temple ◽  
Zhao Helen Wu
Keyword(s):  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Drug Abuse ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Physical Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Low Income Women

This study compared severity of physical violence, intimate partner violence (IPV)-related injury, and lifetime diagnoses of psychiatric disorders among women in relationships with bidirectional, unidirectional, or no IPV. The sample includes 763 low-income women from community-based family planning clinics. Results showed that women in relationships with bidirectional IPV were more likely to experience severe physical violence and severe IPV-related injury compared to women in the unidirectional IPV category. These women were also more likely to be diagnosed with drug abuse and depression than women in relationships without IPV. Similarly, women in the bidirectional IPV category were more likely to be diagnosed with drug abuse when compared to women in the victim-only unidirectional IPV category. Recommendations for health-care providers are discussed.

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