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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Food security and nutrition

Healthy Options: A Community-Based Program to Address Food Insecurity
Presents the results of a study to better understand the experience of food insecurity in rural Adams County, Pennsylvania and to examine the impact of a community-based program developed to increase access to and consumption of local, healthy foods.
Author(s): Amy B. Dailey, Audrey Hess, Camille Horton, et al.
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Adams County Local Foods Network, Gettysburg College, Center for Public Service Research
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Rural Adults' Perspectives on School Food in a North Carolina County
Describes parents' and school staff's perceptions of school food in four rural North Carolina elementary schools, and their views about potential changes designed to enhance appeal of school meals containing more fruits and vegetables.
Author(s): Jayne K. Jeffries, Linden M. Thayer, Heidi Hennink-Kaminski, Seth M. Noar
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 12
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
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Grocery Stores By the Numbers
Fact sheet identifying the reasons and implications regarding grocery store closures in rural Minnesota and potential strategies for accessing fresh food in rural areas.
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Center for Rural Policy and Development
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Nutrition-Related Policy and Environmental Strategies to Prevent Obesity in Rural Communities: A Systematic Review of the Literature, 2002-2013
Summarizes findings from 29 rural studies of obesity prevention interventions using nutrition-related and environmental strategies. Includes interventions in school, tribal, farmers market, and other settings. Discusses common strategies for adapting and implementing these programs in rural communities.
Author(s): Larissa Calancie, Jennifer Leeman, Stephanie B. Jilcott Pitts, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 12
Date: 04/2015
Type: Document
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Disparities Persist in Nutrition Policies and Practices in Minnesota Secondary Schools
Examines school nutrition policies and practices by school characteristics in Minnesota secondary schools between 2008 and 2012. Compares school nutrition policies by rural versus urban/suburban location and across three main areas: the availability of low-nutrient, energy dense (LNED) items, strategies to engage students in healthy eating, and restrictions on advertising LNED products around the school.
Author(s): Caitlin Eicher Caspi, Cynthia Davey, Toben F. Nelson, et al.
Citation: Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 115(3), 419–425
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
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Lack of Healthy Food Options on Children's Menus of Restaurants in the Health-Disparate Dan River Region of Virginia and North Carolina, 2013
Community-based participatory research study describing the quality of food on children's menus in 137 restaurants located in three predominantly rural counties in Virginia and North Carolina, areas with high rates of diabetes and obesity among adults. Looked at healthy eating options for rural compared to urban locations and for areas that are predominantly Black, White, and mixed race.
Author(s): Jennie L. Hill, Nicole C. Olive, Clarice N. Waters, et al.
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 12
Date: 03/2015
Type: Document
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Connecting People to the Source of Their Food: Changing the Way We Think about Food to Improve Health
Presents a study on local food systems as a means of providing access to healthy food in rural communities. Compares outcomes in rural and urban counties.
Author(s): Emily Jackson
Citation: North Carolina Medical Journal, 76(1), 54-56
Date: 01/2015
Type: Document
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Community Members' Input into Cancer Prevention Campaign Development and Experience Being Featured in the Campaign
Explores the partnership between cancer researchers and community members who worked together to develop county-specific media campaigns to improve colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates and fruit and vegetable consumption in Appalachian Ohio. Covers the experiences of community members featured in the media campaigns. Includes demographic information for both media campaigns, such as gender, education, personal history of CRC, and first-degree relative with CRC.
Author(s): Mira L. Katz, Brittney Keller, Cathy M. Tatum, et al.
Citation: Progress in Community Health Partnerships, 9(2), 149-156
Date: 2015
Type: Document
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Evaluation of a Pilot Healthy Eating Intervention in Restaurants and Food Stores of a Rural Community: A Randomized Community Trial
Examines 2 rural Midwest U.S. communities, one community serving as the control and the other receiving the Waupaca Eating Smart (WES) intervention designed to improve the food environment and promote healthy eating in restaurants and supermarkets. Includes statistics on nutrition environment scores, customer satisfaction with food choice availability, and food purchase history for both before and after the intervention.
Author(s): Ana P. Martínez-Donate, Ann Josie Riggall, Amy M. Meinen, et al.
Citation: BMC Public Health, 15, 136
Date: 2015
Type: Document
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The Social Determinants of Health of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity: A Research Framework
Examines the social determinants of health related to childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes from a Native perspective, considering historical trauma, self-determination, and cultural factors. Looks at currently available information, identifies gaps, and provides a research framework to help build a better understanding of the causes of child obesity among Native Americans.
Date: 2015
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Notah Begay III Foundation
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