SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report

Sections

Basic Information
Additional Info

Status: Approved

Basic Information

Project No. and Title: NC1196 : Food systems, health, and well-being: understanding complex relationships and dynamics of change
Period Covered: 10/01/2017 to 09/30/2017
Date of Report: 01/05/2018
Annual Meeting Dates: 10/25/2017 to 10/27/2017

Christine Coker, Mississippi State University, Irene Hatsu, Ohio State University, Alex McIntosh, Texas A&M University, Jane Schuh, North Dakota State University; Chery Smith, University of Minnesota; Virginie Zoumenou, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore

Attached file:

NC-1196-Annual-Meeting-2017-Held-at-Biloxi-MS.docx

Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Accomplishments

Short-Term Outcomes: In Kentucky there are two extensive projects taking place to help improve access among low-income and geographically isolated communities. In Objective 1 Kentucky has been actively engaged with developing grocery store initiatives aimed at improving the consumer food environment in 6 rural high obese counties in Appalachia Kentucky. Several strategies have been implemented across 17 grocery stores (recipe sampling; cart signage; product placement at check out counters) as a way to increase purchases of healthy items.

The second project has been a peer based text message intervention among rural adolescents in KY and NC. The goal of this project is to develop and test how small weekly nudges from a peer via text messaging can improve food shopping and purchasing decisions among adolescents, ages 14-16. This project is in year 2 and all data collection has taken place among intervention participants, while delayed controls will receive a condensed version of messages in March of year 3. The benefits to date have yet to be understood.

In Texas, the Texas Grow, Eat, Go program was adopted by 94 counties in 2017, drawing on funds from the Texas A&M AgriLIfe Extension Service program Better Living for Texans. The 35 counties that adopted this program in 2016 began to be avaluated.

Dr. Zoumenou representing the University of Maryland and representatives from four university to begin a project working with community members, businesses, and public health intities to reduce chronic illneeses and reduce health costs. This project was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Culture of Health Initiative.

Dr. Coker of Mississippi State University has continued to work the community and school gardens. Youth gardens that provide to food pantries.

Drs. Smith, Zoumenou, and McIntosh contributed to a paper session at the annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Food and Society held in Los Angeles CA in June 2017. These dealt with the use of PhotoVoice in order to get low-income children to talk about their urban food environment; the use of stories, music dance and visual tools for changing childrens habits; and time diaries for the study of everday acquiring and consuming food at the household level.

Outputs:

Heidelberger, L., Smith, C., Robinson-O’Brien, R., Earthman, C., Robien, K. In Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. February 2017 117(2):271-277.

Liu, Stephenson, T.; Houlihan., J., Gustafson, A. Marketing Strategies to Encourage Rural Residents of High Obesity Counties to Buy Fruits and Vegetables in Grocery Stores. Preventing Chronic Disease. 2017 (14): 1-6.

Kwon, Mizzo, Chanam Lee, Alex McIntosh and Yu Xiao. 2017. Community currency activities, community attachment, and quality of life: A case study of the crooked river alliance of TimeBanks.” Time And Society. 2017 0(0):1-40. On-line version.

Impacts

To begin to change the health habits of rural and urban adults.
To continue to diffuse the Texas Growth, Eat, Go program.
To continue to engage with grocery stores to improve the consumer environment in 6 high obesity counties.

Publications

Heidelberger, L., Smith, C., Robinson-O’Brien, R., Earthman, C., Robien, K. In Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. February 2017 117(2):271-277.

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