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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Food security and nutrition

Health Care's Role in Rural Economic Development: How Work Support Programs Improve Health and Stimulate Rural Economies
Policy brief exploring how work support programs – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, and Child Care and Development Funds (CCDF) – and other state and federal programs can address social determinants of health, improve health, and stimulate economic activity in rural America. Offers policy recommendations to increase access to these programs in rural areas.
Author(s): David Jordan
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: National Rural Health Association
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Evaluation of the Fiscal Year 2020 Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives Project
Examines the impact of the Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives (HFMI) Project which aimed to increase the purchase and consumption of milk in households enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Analyzes 4 pilot stores in Texas participating in the program, including Littlefield which is situated in a nonmetro area. Includes demographic characteristics of counties with pilot stores as well as data on milk sales, redemption of incentives, and more.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
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Investing in Rural Capacity: Comprehensive Summary of the National Rural Development Stakeholder Listening Sessions
Discusses investments in capacity that improve quality of life in rural areas. Reports on responses from organizational stakeholders from the 4 U.S. Regional Rural Development Centers based on survey data and listening sessions that took place between 2021 and 2022. Focuses on strategies to address physical infrastructure, workforce and economic development, community vibrancy, climate change, health, agriculture and food systems, and equity in rural areas.
Author(s): Jason S. Entsminger, John J. Green, Rachel Welborn, et al.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: Regional Rural Development Centers
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Factors Impacting Implementation of Nutrition and Physical Activity Policies in Rural Schools
Examines school policies and implementation related to nutrition and physical activity (PA) to understand the disproportionate rates of obesity in rural Latino children. Analyzes perceptions of policies and barriers from 20 interviews with stakeholders in Lower Yakima Valley of Eastern Washington State K-12 school districts. Discusses themes such as knowledge of school PA and nutrition policies as well as barriers and facilitators to policy implementation.
Author(s): Caryn Ausenhus, Joshua M. Gold, Cynthia K. Perry, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 23, 308
Date: 02/2023
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Feeding the Residents of Hardeman County Tennessee
Profiles Healthy Hardeman Outreach for Healthy Weight (H2O), a partnership between the Healthcare Bolivar General Hospital (BGH), the Hardeman County Health Department, and Hardeman County Community Health Center to improve access to healthy foods and reduce obesity in the Tennessee county.
Date: 02/2023
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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"Ancestral Recipes": A Mixed-Methods Analysis of MyPlate-Based Recipe Dissemination for Latinos in Rural Communities
Examines the adoption of a MyPlate-informed cookbook culturally tailored toward Latinx communities to improve nutrition, healthy lifestyles, and knowledge related to chronic diseases such as diabetes. Discusses results of holding 20 cooking demonstrations with pre- and post-test surveys as well as focus group interviews with 19 participants.
Author(s): Ann Marie Cheney, William J. McCarthy, María Pozar, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 23, 216
Date: 02/2023
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Listening to Local Voices in Community Assessment: Access to Food and Physical Activity in Wisconsin's Black, Hmong, Latinx, and Somali Communities
Examines the barriers and facilitators related to accessing healthy food and engaging in physical activity within Hmong, Somali, Latinx, and Black/African American communities in Wisconsin. Includes feedback from community-led focus group discussions involving participants from rural and urban counties. Provides suggestions to create partnerships and improve programming.
Author(s): Elizabeth Feder, Nancy Crull
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organization: University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute
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Grit but Not Help-Seeking Was Associated with Food Insecurity among Low Income, At-Risk Rural Veterans
Examines psychological attributes such as grit and help-seeking behaviors and their association to food security among rural veterans in southern Illinois. Analyzes data from 177 veterans who utilized food pantries in 2021 for associations between psychological traits and resource usage. Discusses educational interventions that have the potential to increase well-being for rural veterans.
Author(s): Yue Qin, Douglas A. Sneddon, Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(3), 2500
Date: 01/2023
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Remote Implementation of a School-Based Health Promotion and Health Coaching Program in Low-Income Urban and Rural Sites: Program Impact during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Examines the school-based health promotion and coaching skills program, Stanford Youth Diabetes Coaches Program (SYDCP), which was adapted for remote implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses results of remote implementation in urban and rural sites and includes comparative data of results related to health knowledge and behaviors, personal growth/youth assets, and more.
Author(s): Liana Gefter, Nancy Morioka-Douglas, Ashini Srivastava, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(2), 1044
Date: 01/2023
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Not Enough Food on the Dinner Table: A Look into Food Insecurity among Hispanics/Latinos Living in Rural Communities in the United States
Discusses food insecurity among Hispanics/Latinos in the U.S. and provides program and policy recommendations to improve food access. Reports on a 2022 needs assessment that includes a literature review, socio-demographic survey, focus group with rural Latino adults, and interviews with community-based organizations (CBOs). Offers strategies such as wellness and nutrition education, culturally sensitive engagement, and technology to improve access.
Author(s): Melawhy Garcia, Natalia Gatdula, Vanessa Torres, et al.
Date: 01/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Center for Latino Community Health Evaluation and Leadership Training, UnidosUS
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