scholarly journals Healthy Food Environments in Food Pantries: Lessons Learned from a Sodium Reduction Intervention

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 13206
Author(s):  
Emilee L. Quinn ◽  
Kate Ortiz ◽  
Laura Titzer ◽  
Barb Houston-Shimizu ◽  
Jessica Jones-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sodium Content ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
Customer Choice ◽  
Food Pantries ◽  
United States Food

In the United States, food pantries increasingly serve as regular food sources for low income households experiencing high rates of chronic disease, including hypertension. Sodium consumption is a modifiable risk factor for hypertension, so pantry customers would benefit from access to low-sodium foods. Pantry customers often experience difficulty acquiring healthy foods, however; little is known about pantry foods’ sodium content specifically. This study assesses the sodium content of pantry foods and lessons learned from an adaptable intervention to support pantries in adopting policies and environmental changes to make healthy, lower-sodium foods appealing and accessible. We conducted sodium assessments of food at 13 food pantries, tracked implementation of intervention strategies, and interviewed 10 pantry directors. More than half of food items in 11 categories met sodium standards for foods to be chosen “often”. Pantry directors reported valuing the intervention approach and implemented six of nine behavioral economics strategies, especially those targeting the visibility and convenience of foods, along with layout changes and expanded customer choice. One pantry adopted an agency-specific nutrition policy and 12 adopted a coalition-level policy. Results can inform intervention efforts to make available healthy options appealing and easy to select while also improving the customer experience in food pantries.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a Healthy Chinese Take-Out Sodium-Reduction Initiative in Philadelphia Low-Income Communities and Neighborhoods

2018 ◽  
Vol 133 (4) ◽  
pp. 472-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace X. Ma ◽  
Steven E. Shive ◽  
Guo Zhang ◽  
Jennifer Aquilante ◽  
Yin Tan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Population Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sodium Content ◽  
Sodium Reduction ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Healthy Chinese

Objectives: Sodium reduction in restaurant foods is important because 77% of sodium in the United States is consumed by eating prepared and restaurant foods. We evaluated a sodium-reduction intervention, Healthy Chinese Take-Out Initiative, among Chinese take-out restaurants in low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Our objectives were to (1) analyze changes in the sodium content of food samples and (2) collect data on changes in chefs’ and owners’ knowledge about the health risks of sodium overconsumption, perceptions of the need for sodium reduction, self-efficacy for lowering sodium use, and perceptions of training needs for sodium-reduction strategies. Methods: The initiative trained chefs from 206 Chinese take-out restaurants on strategies to reduce sodium in prepared dishes. We analyzed changes in the sodium content of the 3 most frequently ordered dishes—shrimp and broccoli, chicken lo mein, and General Tso’s chicken—from baseline (July-September 2012) to 36 months after baseline (July-September 2015) among 40 restaurants. We conducted a survey to examine the changes in chefs’ and owners’ knowledge, perceptions, and self-efficacy of sodium reduction. We used multilevel analysis and repeated-measures analysis of variance to examine effects of the intervention on various outcomes. Results: We found significant reductions in the sodium content of all 3 dishes 36 months after a low-sodium cooking training intervention (coefficients range, –1.06 to –1.69, P < .001 for all). Mean knowledge (range, 9.2-11.1), perceptions (range, 4.6-6.0), and self-efficacy (range, 4.2-5.9) ( P < .001 for all) of sodium reduction improved significantly from baseline (August 2012) to posttraining (also August 2012), but perceptions of the need for sodium reduction and self-efficacy for lowering sodium use returned to baseline levels 36 months later (August 2015). Conclusions: The intervention was a useful population health approach that led to engaging restaurants in sodium-reduction practices. Local public health agencies and professionals could partner with independent restaurants to introduce environmental changes that can affect population health on a broad scale, particularly for vulnerable populations.

scholarly journals Development of a System Dynamics Model to Guide Retail Food Store Policies in Baltimore City

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 3055
Author(s):  
Siyao Zhu ◽  
Cassandra Mitsinikos ◽  
Lisa Poirier ◽  
Takeru Igusa ◽  
Joel Gittelsohn
Keyword(s):  
System Dynamics ◽  
Low Income ◽  
The United States ◽  
Staple Food ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Obesity Epidemic ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Decision Variables ◽  
City Policy

Policy interventions to improve food access and address the obesity epidemic among disadvantaged populations are becoming more common throughout the United States. In Baltimore MD, corner stores are a frequently used source of food for low-income populations, but these stores often do not provide a range of affordable healthy foods. This research study aimed to assist city policy makers as they considered implementing a Staple Food Ordinance (SFO) that would require small stores to provide a range and depth of stock of healthy foods. A System Dynamics (SD) model was built to simulate the complex Baltimore food environment and produce optimal values for key decision variables in SFO planning. A web-based application was created for users to access this model to optimize future SFOs, and to test out different options. Four versions of potential SFOs were simulated using this application and the advantages and drawbacks of each SFO are discussed based on the simulation results. These simulations show that a well-designed SFO has the potential to reduce staple food costs, increase corner store profits, reduce food waste, and expand the market for heathy staple foods.

scholarly journals Merchant Attitudes Toward a Healthy Food Retailer Incentive Program in a Low-Income San Francisco Neighborhood

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 207-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia A. McDaniel ◽  
Meredith Minkler ◽  
Lisa Juachon ◽  
Ryan Thayer ◽  
Jessica Estrada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
San Francisco ◽  
Low Income ◽  
The United States ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Willingness To Participate ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
Incentive Program ◽  
Meeting Program ◽  
Food Retailer ◽  
Past Experiences

In low-income urban communities across the United States and globally, small stores frequently offer processed foods, sodas, alcohol, and tobacco but little access to healthy products. To help address this problem, the city of San Francisco created a healthy food retailer incentive program. Its success depends, in part, on retailers’ willingness to participate. Through in-person interviews, we explored attitudes toward the program among store owners or managers of 17 nonparticipating stores. Eleven merchants were uninterested in the program due to negative past experiences trying to sell healthier products, perceived lack of customer demand, and fears that meeting program requirements could hurt profits. Six merchants expressed interest, seeing demand for or opportunity in healthy foods, foreseeing few difficulties in meeting program requirements, and regarding the assistance offered as appealing. Other municipalities considering such interventions should consider merchants’ perspectives, and how best to challenge or capitalize on retailers’ previous experiences with selling healthy foods.

scholarly journals Corner Store Inventories, Purchases, and Strategies for Intervention

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 01-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brent A Langellier ◽  
Jeremiah R. Garza ◽  
Michael L. Prelip ◽  
Deborah Glik ◽  
Ron Brookmeyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Low Income ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Marshall Islands ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Corner Store ◽  
Food Retail Environment

Introduction: An increasingly popular strategy to improve the food retail environment and promote healthy eating in low-income and minority communities is the corner store conversion. This approach involves partnering with small ‘corner’ food stores to expand access to high-quality fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods. Methods: We conducted a structured review of the literature to assess inventories and sales in corner stores, as well as to identify intervention strategies employed by corner store conversions. Results: Our review returned eight descriptive studies that discussed corner store inventories and sales, as well as ten intervention studies discussing six unique corner store conversion interventions in the United States, the Marshall Islands, and Canada. Common intervention strategies included: 1) partnering with an existing store, 2) stocking healthy foods, and 3) social marketing and nutrition education. We summarize each strategy and review the effectiveness of overall corner store conversions at changing peoples’ food purchasing, preparation, and consumption behaviors. Conclusions: Consumption of fresh, healthy, affordable foods could be improved by supporting existing retailers to expand their selection of healthy foods and promoting healthy eating at the neighborhood level. Additional corner store conversions should be conducted to determine the effectiveness and importance of specific intervention strategies.

Use of Food Pantries and Food Stamps in Low-Income Households in the United States

2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
GANDHI RAJ BHATTARAI ◽  
PATRICIA A DUFFY ◽  
JENNIE RAYMOND
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Low Income ◽  
The United States ◽  
Food Stamps ◽  
Food Pantries ◽  
Low Income Households

scholarly journals Providing planetary health diet meals to low-income families in Baltimore City during the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Richard Semba ◽  
Rebecca Ramsing ◽  
Nihaal Rahman ◽  
Martin Bloem
Keyword(s):  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Moderate Amount ◽  
Baltimore City ◽  
Planetary Health ◽  
United States Food ◽  
Low Income Families ◽  
High Level

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased food insecurity, especially among low-income Black and His¬panic families in the United States. Food insecurity is associated with poorer health and higher mortality in adults and greater risk of impaired cognitive development and behavioral problems in children. Pro-viding food for low-income families is an important priority of the COVID-19 response. Food That Connects Us All is a program that provides healthy meals to low-income Black and Hispanic families in Baltimore City. The meals follow guidelines for the planetary health diet, a reference diet developed by the EAT-Lancet Commission to optimize health and be sustainable within planetary boundaries. The planetary health diet consists largely of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and unsaturated oils, with a low to moderate amount of seafood and poultry and with little or no red or processed meats, refined grains, starchy vegetables, and added sugar. In a food survey, participants showed a high level of satisfaction with the taste, appearance, and healthfulness of the meals. Food That Connects Us All is a direct approach to reducing health disparities and demonstrates the feasibility of providing an ideal reference diet to vulnerable low-income families at high risk for poor health outcomes during the pandemic.

scholarly journals Improving Healthy Food Choices in Low-Income Settings in the United States Using Behavioral Economic-Based Adaptations to Choice Architecture

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Anderson ◽  
Ruobin Wei ◽  
Binkai Liu ◽  
Rachel Plummer ◽  
Heather Kelahan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Choice Architecture ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Food Pantries ◽  
Dietary Choices

Low diet quality is a significant public health problem in the United States, especially among low-income populations. The food environment influences dietary choices. When applied to eating behavior, behavioral economics (BE) recognizes that decision biases instigated by a food environment saturated with unhealthy foods may lead people to purchase such foods, even when they possess the necessary information and skills to make healthy dietary choices. Choice architecture, a BE concept that involves modifying the appeal or availability of choices to “nudge” people toward a certain choice, retains freedom of choice but makes unhealthy options less convenient or visible. Choice architecture has been demonstrated to influence food choices in various settings, including supermarkets, convenience stores, and food pantries. These modifications are low-cost and feasible to implement, making them a viable strategy to help “nudge” patrons toward healthier choices in food establishments serving low-income populations, including food pantries and retailers accepting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. This narrative review searched, appraised, and underscored the strengths and limitations of extant research studies that used choice architecture adaptations to influence food choices among low-income populations in the United States. Findings from studies in food pantry settings suggest the potential of BE strategies to improve the healthfulness of food choices and dietary intake in low-income populations. In food retail settings, research suggests that BE strategies increase sales of healthy foods, like fruits and vegetables. We identify new areas of research needed to determine if BE-based modifications in low-income settings have sustained impacts on diet quality.

scholarly journals Nursing Homes and COVID-19: Staff Experiences

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 248-248
Author(s):  
Verena Cimarolli ◽  
Joann Reinhardt ◽  
Sheryl Zimmerman
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Homes ◽  
Low Income ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Nursing Assistants ◽  
Work Related ◽  
New Findings ◽  
Transportation Research ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Nursing homes (NHs) faced an unprecedented crisis during the rapid spread of COVID-19. This pandemic has had a devastating impact on both NH residents and workers who are often on the frontlines providing hands-on care. These workers are vulnerable to the health risks of COVID-19 due to daily exposure to residents with COVID-19, residence in areas with high infection rates, and challenges specific to low-income workers (e.g. reliance on mass transportation). Research has highlighted the experiences of NH workers during the pandemic to learn how to better support them now and during future pandemics. This symposium will add to this research and present new findings from studies conducted in the United States to capture the unique experiences of NH employees. First, Bryant illustrates specific COVID-19-related challenges that NH frontline workers faced and how these workers’ experiences compare to workers in other long-term services and support settings. Reinhardt reports findings from a qualitative study examining the multi-level challenges experienced by nursing assistants during the pandemic. Cimarolli examines if quality of employer communication and workers’ perceived COVID-19-related preparedness mitigate the impact of work-related stress on NH workers’ decision to resign. Franzosa shares recommendations based on priorities identified by nursing assistants and administrators to build future resilience based on lessons learned. Finally, Simpson identifies factors associated with states’ decisions to adopt COVID-19 testing mandates for workers in NHs. Dr. Zimmerman discusses study findings and their contributions for creating supportive NH work environments to ensure most optimal NH worker and resident quality of life.

scholarly journals Healthy Eating Policy Improves Children’s Diet Quality in Early Care and Education in South Carolina

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1753 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel A. Zaltz ◽  
Amelie A. Hecht ◽  
Roni A. Neff ◽  
Russell R. Pate ◽  
Brian Neelon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Carolina ◽  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Low Income ◽  
The United States ◽  
Healthy Eating Index ◽  
Early Care And Education ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
Early Care

Policies to promote healthy foods in early care and education (ECE) in the United States exist, but few have been prospectively evaluated. In South Carolina, a statewide program serving low-income children in ECE enacted new policies promoting healthy foods. We conducted an evaluation to measure changes in dietary intake among children in ECE exposed and not exposed to the new policy. Using direct observation, we assessed dietary intake in 112 children from 34 ECE centers in South Carolina and 90 children from 30 ECE centers in North Carolina (a state with no policy). We calculated Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI) scores to measure diet quality consumed before and after the policy was enacted. We fit mixed-effects linear models to estimate differences in HEI scores by state from baseline to post-policy, adjusting for child race, number of children enrolled, director education, center years in operation, participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and center profit status. The policy increased HEI scores for whole fruits, total fruits, and lean proteins, but decreased scores for dairy. Thus, the policy was associated with some enhancements in dietary intake, but additional support may help improve other components of diet.

scholarly journals Prevalence and management of Solenopsis invicta in China

NeoBiota ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 54 ◽  
pp. 89-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Wang ◽  
Ling Zeng ◽  
Yijuan Xu ◽  
Yongyue Lu
Keyword(s):  
Solenopsis Invicta ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Fire Ant ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Red Imported Fire Ant ◽  
Step Method ◽  
Long Distance

Red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, was first found in Taiwan province of China in 2003. To prevent transboundary expansion, the Chinese government has formulated various control strategies in the last 15 years to slow down the spread of S. invicta. Despite all efforts, S. invicta invasion has reached more than 390 counties of 13 provinces and two special administrative regions in China; at present, S. invicta remains at the stage of rapid expansion. The transnational entry of S. invicta is linked to imported logs and wastepaper coming mostly from the United States. In domestic settings, long-distance expansion of S. invicta relied on potted plant and turf transportation. Both monogyne and polygyne social forms of S. invicta were present in China with polygyne colonies as the dominant one. Data on population and breeding dynamics of S. invicta reveal the presence of two peaks annually with nuptial flights occurring throughout the year. Arthropods, plant seeds, and honeydew are important food sources of S. invicta, thereby causing negative impacts on the abundance, diversity, and richness of native arthropod communities. Fire ants are threats not only to agriculture and power facilities, but also to human health, with more than 30% of people having suffered from the sting and 10% having experienced an allergic reaction. To address the expansion of S. invicta, the National Fire Ant Detection and Management Union was established and the formulation and implementation of management policies were drawn. Plant quarantine becomes an essential step in fire ant management, whereas the two-step method of combing toxic baits and contact dust emerges as the forefront method crucial in managing S. invicta. The experience and lessons learned from fire ant management in China could benefit other countries when facing similar challenges.

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