scholarly journals When Walmart leaves small towns : vulnerability, food insecurity and community resilience

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Yanu Endar Prasetyo
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Community Resilience ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Town

Walmart store closures, especially in rural areas, seem to be continuing since the company is moving forward in serving its urban customers and investing heavily in its digital features and markets. If this scenario happens, then many townspeople in a rural area will lose their only Walmart store, which has been part of the town for decades. There are many studies on the impact of Walmart's entry and presence in towns. However, investigating the effects of Walmart when they leave small towns is still rare. For this reason, this study is focused on addressing the impact of Walmart store closures in small towns in Missouri. The purpose of this study is to identify factors affecting the residents' perception of and response toward the impact of Walmart's store closure in Rural Areas. Our conceptual framework is designed to assess household vulnerability and incorporate food insecurity factors to capture how vulnerability and resilience in rural communities change because of the closure of a Walmart store. This approach may help us better understand the linkages between community vulnerability and community resilience. Using a mixed-method design, we explored the residents' perceptions, opinions, and experiences regarding the closing of Walmart. Data from both the qualitative phase (observation, semi-structured interview, group discussion, and document analysis) and quantitative phase (community-based drop-off and pick-up surveys) of this study then mixed in the final analysis to provide a more detailed and complete description of the effect of Walmart store closures in rural Missouri. We found that people were overwhelmingly disappointed and angry when Walmart closed in their area in 2017. Most residents said they felt disappointed (46 percent) and angry (41 percent) about Walmart's decision. There was a change in households' attitudes and shopping habits after Walmart left these towns, including a significant decline (54.9 percent) in shopping frequency among residents who often shop at Walmart. Not having Wal sense of losing pride in being part of the town. When Caruthersville and Piedmont still had Walmart in town, it became the center of community for the surrounding towns and the entire county. The number of households that fall into vulnerability categories (very lowvulnerable, low-vulnerable, vulnerable, and very vulnerable) is calculated and obtained from Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CATPCA). The data showed that most households fell into a vulnerable (39.8 percent) and low-vulnerable situation (34.6 percent) after Walmart left and were able to cope with this stressor. Households in the neighboring towns (Patterson, Williamsville, and Greenville) that were 10-15 miles from Piedmont also had a high percentage of vulnerable groups (47.6 percent) and very vulnerable households (6.5 percent). Based on this study, the Walmart store's closure in Piedmont had a bigger impact on both the households within the host town and their neighboring towns. Our findings also confirmed that many residents in these areas rely on government assistance programs, especially SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program), the most extensive federal nutrition program in the U.S. About 43.7 percent of households in Caruthersville, 25.5 percent of households in Piedmont, and 24.4 percent of households in the neighboring town are SNAP recipients. These findings further prove that SNAP recipients and community food bank/pantry users were more sensitive to Walmart's store closure. While SNAP benefits provided valuable support to many households, the retail mobility -- increased proximity to small retailers and decreased proximity to many large ones (Walmart) -- would negatively affect townspeople. This study suggests that Policymakers and public health experts need to work closely to ensure healthier and more equitable food systems since small retailers may provide limited access to fresh and healthy foods. Future research can also evaluate the impact of existing small retailers - that authorized for SNAPof the rural community.

scholarly journals Household food security during Covid-19 pandemic in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-143
Author(s):  
Nurwulan Purnasari ◽  
Titisari Juwitangtyas ◽  
Iman Sabarisman
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Household Food Insecurity ◽  
Household Food ◽  
The Impact

Household food security in Indonesia depends on many factors. This study aims to describe household food security during the Covid-19 pandemic in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta (DIY). This research was conducted using a questionnaire for taking data. This study showed that there was a difference in household food security between the pre-pandemic of Covid-19 and during the pandemic of Covid-19. The hunger scale di DIY at the pre-pandemic of Covid-19 was 6% and increased during the pandemic of Covid-19 to 11%. It is showed that the financial crisis because of Covid-19 also influenced at increasing household food insecurity. As far as future research is concerned, the impact of food insecurity in vulnerable groups within the studied communities needs to be determined.

scholarly journals Food Insecurity and SNAP Participation in Mexican Immigrant Families: The Impact of the Outreach Initiative

2013 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 203-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neeraj Kaushal ◽  
Jane Waldfogel ◽  
Vanessa R. Wight
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Immigrant Families ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Mexican Immigrant ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
The Us ◽  
Mexican Immigrant Families ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Mixed Status ◽  
Outreach Initiative

Abstract We study the factors associated with food insecurity and participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Mexican immigrant families in the US. Estimates from analyses that control for a rich set of economic, demographic, and geographic variables show that children in Mexican immigrant families are more likely to be food insecure than children in native families, but are less likely to participate in SNAP. Further, more vulnerable groups such as the first-generation Mexican immigrant families, families in the US for less than 5 years, and families with non-citizen children – that are at a higher risk of food insecurity are the least likely to participate in SNAP. Our analysis suggests that the US Department of Agriculture outreach initiative and SNAP expansion under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act increased SNAP participation of the mixed-status Mexican families, and there is some evidence that food insecurity declined among children in low-educated mixed status families. We do not find any evidence that the outreach and ARRA expansion increased SNAP receipt among Mexican immigrant families with only non-citizen members who are likely to be undocumented.

scholarly journals The Prevalence and Socio-Demographic Correlates of Food Insecurity in Poland

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (17) ◽  
pp. 6221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Dudek ◽  
Joanna Myszkowska-Ryciak
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Household Composition ◽  
Social Program ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Households With Children ◽  
The Impact

While food insecurity (FI) has been extensively studied in many countries, there have been few empirical contributions in Poland to date. The main objective of our research was to identify the socio-demographic factors affecting the risk of FI in Poland within 2014–2019. Moreover, we aimed to examine the effects of the family-oriented social program “Family 500+” by comparing the situation in various types of households with children a few years before and after the program was launched. The analysis was based on the set of eight-item FI indicators adopted by the Food and Agriculture Organization using the Gallup World Poll nationally representative survey data. Based on our results the most vulnerable groups in the context of FI were identified. We confirmed the importance of education, gender, age, marital status, household composition, status of employment and income in preventing FI. The effectiveness of the support program in reducing FI was demonstrated as households with at least three children experienced significant improvement in the FI status during the studied years. These findings should be especially important in the context of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on FI. As FI can affect the quality and quantity of food choices it is associated with a poorer health status, which increases the risk of infection, including COVID-19, and worsens recovery prognosis. Planning an efficient response to the pandemic requires a comprehension of the increased risk of exposure experienced by people, especially those who are food insecure.

scholarly journals Federal, State, and Local Nutrition Policies for Cancer Prevention: Perceived Impact and Feasibility, United States, 2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 110 (7) ◽  
pp. 1006-1008
Author(s):  
Lauren Lizewski ◽  
Grace Flaherty ◽  
Parke Wilde ◽  
Ross Brownson ◽  
Claire Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cancer Prevention ◽  
The United States ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Nutrition Policies ◽  
Perceived Impact ◽  
State And Local ◽  
The Impact

Objectives. To assess stakeholder perceptions of the impact and feasibility of 21 national, state, and local nutrition policies for cancer prevention across 5 domains in the United States. Methods. We conducted an online survey from October through December 2018. Participants were invited to take the survey via direct e-mail contact or an organizational e-newsletter. Results. Federal or state Medicare/Medicaid coverage of nutrition counseling and federal or state subsidies on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains for participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program were the policies rated as having the highest perceived impact and feasibility. Overall, the 170 respondents rated policy impact higher than policy feasibility. Polices at the federal or state level had a higher perceived impact, whereas local policies had higher perceived feasibility. Conclusions. Our findings might guide future research and advocacy that can ultimately motivate and target policy actions to reduce cancer burdens and disparities in the United States.

scholarly journals How does mode of travel affect risks posed to other road users? An analysis of English road fatality data, incorporating gender and road type

2020 ◽  
pp. injuryprev-2019-043534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Aldred ◽  
Rob Johnson ◽  
Christopher Jackson ◽  
James Woodcock
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
The Other ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Road Users ◽  
Rural Settings ◽  
Road Fatality ◽  
Road Type ◽  
The Impact

BackgroundMost analysis of road injuries examines the risk experienced by people using different modes of transport, for instance, pedestrian fatalities per-head or per-km. A small but growing field analyses the impact that the use of different transport modes has on other road users, for instance, injuries to others per-km driven.MethodsThis paper moves the analysis of risk posed to others forward by comparing six different vehicular modes, separating road types (major vs minor roads in urban vs rural settings). The comparison of risk posed by men and women for all these modes is also novel.ResultsPer-vehicle kilometre, buses and lorries pose much the highest risk to others, while cycles pose the lowest. Motorcycles pose a substantially higher per-km risk to others than cars. The fatality risk posed by cars or vans to ORUs per km is higher in rural areas. Risk posed is generally higher on major roads, although not in the case of lorries, suggesting a link to higher speeds. Men pose higher per-km risk to others than women for all modes except buses, as well as being over-represented among users of the most dangerous vehicles.ConclusionsFuture research should examine more settings, adjust for spatial and temporal confounders, or examine how infrastructure or route characteristics affect risk posed to others. Although for most victims the other vehicle involved is a car, results suggest policy-makers should also seek to reduce disproportionate risks posed by the more dangerous vehicles, for instance, by discouraging motorcycling. Finally, given higher risk posed to others by men across five of six modes analysed, policy-makers should consider how to reduce persistent large gender imbalances in jobs involving driving.

scholarly journals Who Supports International Development Cooperation in Times of Crisis? Public Opinion in Rural Spain

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 2027
Author(s):  
Juan Gómez-Quintero ◽  
Pilar Gargallo Valero ◽  
Jesús Miguel Álvarez
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
International Development ◽  
International Cooperation ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Development Aid ◽  
Development Cooperation ◽  
Multivariate Statistical ◽  
Official Development Aid ◽  
The Town

The official development aid provided by donor countries does not solely depend on government decisions; it is also affected by trends in public opinion. This means that it is important to find out more about the opinions, views and attitudes of the citizens of donor countries. In spite of this, very few research studies have specifically analysed the opinions of people from rural areas. The aim of this research is to analyse the attitudes of the inhabitants of rural areas in northeast Spain to assess the degree of support for policies of international cooperation and development. To this end we carried out a survey of 403 people resident in small towns, selected using a stratified sampling process. We then conducted multivariate statistical techniques of the information we had gathered, in which we found that there were three types of individuals according to their level of interest, concern and action: aware but not actively involved, not interested and passive, and proactive with strong convictions. This research has shown that educational level, size of the town and age all influence the person’s interest in the problems affecting the rest of the world and their support for international cooperation.

Framing Community Resilience Through Mobility and Gender

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 554-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kei Otsuki ◽  
◽  
Godfred Seidu Jasaw ◽  
Victor Lolig ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Community Resilience ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Ecological Resilience ◽  
Northern Ghana ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Commercial Activities ◽  
And Gender ◽  
External Forces ◽  
The Impact

The study of community resilience observed in times of crisis has conventionally focused on the impact of external forces on sedentary and homogeneous communities embedded in specific ecological systems. Drawing on a qualitative case study of a rural community in northern Ghana, this paper reports that, even in a community of mostly small farmers, diversifying livelihoods is apparently a main coping strategy. This paper focuses on two, often overlooked, dimensions that underpin this livelihood diversification: mobility and gender. Mobility, the first dimension, indicates the work of livelihoods that develop outside the community such as the so-called “settler farming,” a variety of trading activities, and outmigration to cities. Gender, the second dimension, indicates cropping and commercial activities carried out differently by men and women. Both mobility and gender characterize diverse livelihood strategies, which evolve by enriching social relationships and extending networks. This paper argues that shedding light on social relationships and networks helps us to reframe the concept of community resilience from the community-based capacity of self-organization to the capacity of a flexible social system for being able to mobilize a wide variety of resources. Future research agendas must advance this understanding of resource mobilization in relation to ecological resilience and must clarify its technological and policy implications.

scholarly journals Impact of the Social Café Meals program: a qualitative investigation

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Allen ◽  
Jacklin O'Connor ◽  
Emily Amezdroz ◽  
Pieta Bucello ◽  
Hannah Mitchell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Vulnerable Groups ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Evaluation Approach ◽  
Current Program ◽  
Community Contribution ◽  
The Impact

Social Café Meals Programs aim to reduce food insecurity and social exclusion by providing participants access to subsidised meals in mainstream local cafés. This study aimed to explore the program’s ability to address social exclusion and food insecurity and the impact of the program on the community. A qualitative evaluation approach was utilised whereby in-depth interviews were conducted with café owners, café staff and current program members of two Social Café Meals Programs operating in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne. Twelve program members and six café staff completed an in-depth interview at the local cafés. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach focusing on the lived experience of the café owners, staff and program members. Four key themes were identified. The program (i) improved food access for vulnerable groups and (ii) created community cohesiveness. (iii) The café environment was important in facilitating program use by community members. (iv) Café owners felt rewarded for their community contribution via the program. Social Café Meals Programs may provide a solution to improving food security and reducing social exclusion and may be considered as a strategy for improving nutrition and social health for at-risk and vulnerable groups.

scholarly journals The Impact of Grit on Health Outcomes in College Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 455-455
Author(s):  
Amelia Sullivan ◽  
Leigh Neptune ◽  
Kayla Parsons ◽  
Ashley Reynolds ◽  
Carol Byrd-Bredbenner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Experiment Station ◽  
College Undergraduate ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objectives The objective was to examine the relationship between grit and health outcomes in college undergraduate students. Methods A cross-sectional convenience sample of college undergraduate students completed an online survey assessing Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL), the National Cancer Institute Fruit and Vegetable Screener, and the 2-item Hager Food Insecurity Screener. Grit was assessed by generating a mean score using the 8-item short grit scale. Independent t-tests were used to compare health outcomes between students who reported above/below the average grit score of the sample. Chi-square tests were used to examine group differences between grit level and prevalence of food insecurity. Results Participants (N = 655) were 19.8 ± 1.5 years old, mostly female (63%), and white (84%). The average grit score was 3.27 ± 0.54 out of 5. Results indicated that students who were grittier than average (n = 372) reported fewer days/months (d/m) with poor mental health (8.1 ± 8.5 vs. 11.6 ± 9.6, P < 0.001), fewer d/m feeling sad/depressed (6.2 ± 7.7 vs. 9.9 ± 9.3, P < 0.001), more d/m with restful sleep (12.9 ± 9.8 vs. 10.3 ± 8.6, P < 0.001), more d/m feeling very healthy and full of energy (12.6 ± 8.8 vs. 8.4 ± 7.5, P < 0.001), and ate more servings of fruits and vegetables per day (2.4 ± 1.3 vs. 2.1 ± 1.32, P < 0.01). Grittier participants were also less likely to report being food insecure (16.0%) vs. less grittier participants (23.3%), P < 0.05. Conclusions This data indicates that students who were grittier than average reported better HRQOL, consumed a more healthful diet, and were more likely to be food secure. This provides justification for future research to explore grit as a mediating factor that may contribute to better health outcomes, especially in populations particularly susceptible to experiencing poor HRQOL and food insecurity. Funding Sources This project was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Hatch project number #ME0022104 through the Maine Agricultural & Forest Experiment Station. NJ Agriculture Experiment Station.

scholarly journals Food Insecurity in a Low-Income, Predominantly African American Cohort Following the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 494-497
Author(s):  
Tamara Dubowitz ◽  
Madhumita Ghosh Dastidar ◽  
Wendy M. Troxel ◽  
Robin Beckman ◽  
Alvin Nugroho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
The United States ◽  
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ◽  
Food Bank ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Nutrition Assistance ◽  
National Trends ◽  
The Impact

Objectives. To examine the impact of COVID-19 shutdowns on food insecurity among a predominantly African American cohort residing in low-income racially isolated neighborhoods. Methods. Residents of 2 low-income African American food desert neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, were surveyed from March 23 to May 22, 2020, drawing on a longitudinal cohort (n = 605) previously followed from 2011 to 2018. We examined longitudinal trends in food insecurity from 2011 to 2020 and compared them with national trends. We also assessed use of food assistance in our sample in 2018 versus 2020. Results. From 2018 to 2020, food insecurity increased from 20.7% to 36.9% (t = 7.63; P < .001) after steady declines since 2011. As a result of COVID-19, the United States has experienced a 60% increase in food insecurity, whereas this sample showed a nearly 80% increase, widening a preexisting disparity. Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (52.2%) and food bank use (35.9%) did not change significantly during the early weeks of the pandemic. Conclusions. Longitudinal data highlight profound inequities that have been exacerbated by COVID-19. Existing policies appear inadequate to address the widening gap.

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