In recent years, many students have faced economic hardship and experienced food insecurity, even as universities strive to create more equitable pathways to college. There is a need for a more ...holistic perspective that addresses the complexity of food insecurity amongst college students. To this end, we examined the relationship between the social determinants of health, including college food insecurity (CoFI) and childhood food insecurity (ChFI), and their relationship with well-being measures. The study sample was a convenience sample that included 372 students at a public university who responded to an online survey in fall 2021. Students were asked to report their food security status in the previous 30 days. We used the following analytical strategies: chi-square tests to determine differences between food secure (FS) and food insecure (FI) students; binary logistic regression of CoFI on student demographics and ChFI; and ordinal or binary logistic regression for well-being measures. Black students, off-campus students, first-generation students, in-state students, and humanities/behavioral/social/health sciences majors were more likely to report CoFI. FI students were more likely to have experienced ChFI and to have lower scores on all well-being measures. ChFI was associated with four well-being measures and its effects were mediated by CoFI. College student health initiatives would benefit from accounting for SDOH, including ChFI experiences and its subsequent cumulative disadvantages experienced during college.
In this study, we explored the relationship between the food environment and food security among rural adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers, with assistance from community partners, ...conducted a cross-sectional survey assessing the impact of COVID-19 on food access, food security, and physical activity in 9 rural South Carolina (SC) counties. This survey was administered to a purposive sample (N = 587) from August 2020 to March 2021. The dependent variable was a binary indicator of food insecurity (past 3 months), in accordance with the USDA Household Food Security Survey Module. Independent variables were sociodemographic characteristics, food environment factors (eg, shopping at grocery stores, partial markets, and farmers' markets), and shopping behaviors during the pandemic. Overall, 31% of respondents were food insecure. Food security status differed by income and household composition. Results indicate that the odds of food insecurity were higher for respondents who shopped frequently at partial markets (adjusted odds ratio AOR = 1.61, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.01-2.56) and shopped more for food before the pandemic than during the pandemic (AOR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.07-2.64). Findings underscore the importance of examining the relationship between the food environment and food insecurity during COVID-19 in rural settings.
Public Sociology Nyden, Philip W; Hossfeld, Leslie; Nyden, Gwendolyn
2011, 2012, 2011-05-04, 2011-05-01
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A contemporary analysis of public sociology which highlights a variety of ways in which sociology brings about social change in community settings, assists nonprofit and social service organizations ...in their work, and influences policy.
Many individuals make financial, health and food related trade-offs to cope with the challenges of food insecurity and to meet their household needs for healthy, affordable food. A survey (n = 652) ...was conducted in nine rural counties in South Carolina, USA, during the COVID-19 pandemic from August 2020 to July 2021. We examine if level of food insecurity predicts hunger-coping trade-offs, and whether this relationship is moderated by easiness in food access and dependence on different food source types. Nearly one-third of the respondents experienced food insecurity. Making trade-offs between paying for food and other household expenses was common among the rural residents as on average they made nearly one type of trade-off in the past three months. The number of trade-offs was the highest among highly food insecure respondents (mean = 2.64), followed by moderately food insecure respondents (mean = 1.66); low food insecure respondents had the lowest number of trade-offs (mean = 0.39). The moderating effects of easiness in food access and dependence on food sources varied by level of food insecurity. The results show that individuals at different levels of food insecurity use different strategies to fulfill their food needs and social programs are more often utilized than personal food sources. We conclude with implications for addressing food insecurity in order to reduce the possibility of making trade-offs.
Mississippi has the highest food insecurity rate in the nation, and while the overall pattern of food insecurity has declined in the United States, for Mississippians it has plateaued, remaining ...significantly higher than prerecession rates. In addition, the food environment of the state is characterized by low healthy food access, high persistent poverty, and a primarily rural landscape. This translational research seeks to bridge thinking on agriculture policy, nutrition, food access/food insecurity in seeking to understand the paradox between obesity and poverty in rural Mississippi. Examining food system opportunities as potential solutions to food access and healthy outcomes is explored.
The Mississippi Delta represents one of the greatest concentrations of rural persistent poverty in the United States. High unemployment, high food insecurity, higher rates of obesity and diabetes, ...and low access to healthy, affordable food characterize much of the 18 counties in the region. In the face of this, The Good Food Revolution, a community-based program to address food related health and thereby employment, developed in response to significant need in three small communities in North Bolivar County, Mississippi, bringing together community members, public and private sector organizations, researchers and students. This paper examines the process of community-engaged scholarship from the theoretical lens on building community capacity and resiliency developed by Chaskin. Increasing community capacity for all participants in the Good Food Revolution project through community-engaged scholarship has built resilient communities that are engaging more communities.
Once referred to as the "vale of humility between two mountains of conceit," North Carolina has transformed itself from its humble origins to a progressive state embracing the new millennium. From ...the boom of the Research Triangle to the financial banking hub of Charlotte, the state stands out on many indicators of progress, prosperity and leadership. Yet the very problems that have plagued the state for centuries endure, and the residue of these is the very issue Southeastern North Carolinians must address. Persistent poverty, affordable housing, low incomes and enduring racial inequalities are the age-old problems plaguing our region. Coupled with remarkable population growth and a growing immigrant population, the face of Down East is changing -- and how we respond is critical to our future. A number of suggestions on economic development for areas of poverty are suggested. Adapted from the source document.
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