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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Food security and nutrition

Policy, Systems, and Environmental Strategies Generated by Stakeholders to Support Food Security in Rural Communities
Examines policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) strategies in rural communities of Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan, and Texas that address food insecurity. Provides recommendations based on interview data such as improving ease of program enrollment, providing more awareness of services, and making program use more hassle-free.
Additional links: Arizona Brief, Full Report, Georgia Brief, Kentucky Brief, Michigan Brief, Texas Brief
Author(s): Carmen Byker Shanks, Shelly Palmer, Emily Shaw, et al.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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The Association Between Tribal Transit And Food Insecurity Status among Native Americans in North Dakota
Examines the relationship between food insecurity in rural tribal areas and transportation access. Analyzes 2022 survey data from Native American respondents in North Dakota and reports on respondent demographics, traditional indigenous food pathways, factors leading to food insecurity, disability and health status, availability of transportation, and more. Provides information on Native American reservations and populations as well as strategies to reduce food insecurity.
Author(s): J. Hough, J. Mattson, H. Al Qublan, B. Rahman
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute
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A Food Access Model in Michigan's Graying America
Presents a model for increasing food access for the aging and indigenous populations in a rural county in Michigan. Discusses the barriers to food access in the county, highlights specific concerns for each population, and details approaches to overcome those barriers.
Author(s): Wajeeha Kamal, Lily Guiney, Miles Oates
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Communities Project
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Support for Healthy Eating and Active Living in Rural Communities: Insights from a National Survey of Local Governments
Analyzes local government policies that support wellness, healthy eating, and physical activity in metro versus nonmetro areas. Utilizes Community Based Survey of Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living (CBS HEAL) data to compare government structures, master plans, built environment policies, transit options, supportive food access policies, and more.
Author(s): Adee Athiyaman
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
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School Meals and Other Child Nutrition Programs: Background and Funding
Provides an overview of federal child nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP), among others. Includes information on reimbursement rates for rural SFSP meal sites, as well as brief mentions of rural and tribal demonstration programs.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Healthy Families Produce Rx Program Project Micro Report: Community Feedback
Discusses the Healthy Families Produce Rx (HFPRx) program which provides families in rural Louisiana impacted by food insecurity with funds to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Aetna Better Health of Louisiana, LSU Ag Center, No Kid Hungry, Vouchers 4 Veggies
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Feeding Burke County: A Behind the Scenes Look At Burke County School District's Non-Congregate Summer Food Service Program
Describes how the rural Burke County School District in California provided non-congregate meals across the county in the summer of 2023. Provides details on set-up, staffing, meal storage, meal delivery, planning, and more.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Rural Adults' Perceptions of Nutrition Recommendations for Cancer Prevention: Contradictory and Conflicting Messages
Explores perceptions of web-based nutrition recommendations for colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention, utilizing interview data from 48 rural men and women aged 50 to 73 who participated in a CRC prevention intervention. Identifies challenges related to contradictory recommendations, cultural and dietary preferences, and information gaps. Includes discussion of factors promoting CRC screening.
Author(s): Melissa J. Vilaro, Emma Bryan, Te Palani, et al.
Citation: Preventive Oncology and Epidemiology, 1, 2237680
Date: 11/2023
Type: Document
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Cultivating Education and Rural Communities - Exploring the Intersection of HBCUs and Food Insecurity
A recorded webinar that discusses the relationship between Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and service to the community. Focuses on the history of food insecurity issues in rural areas with a HBCU. Transcript available below description.
Date: 11/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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The Value Chains Linking Together Rural Food Access
A recorded webinar that discusses innovative ways to improve food security in rural areas by linking services and organizations working toward a similar goal. Includes case studies from housing and healthcare collaborators who designed a mobile grocery store as well as an agricultural/environmental nonprofit who collaborated with local farmers and healthcare providers to create a produce prescription (PRx) program.
Additional links: Slide Deck
Date: 11/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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