Healthy Food Choices for Low Income Populations

BY: BRITTANY GUDBRANDSON, HOLLY MAY, AND SAVANNAH DEVRIES

Mission Statement

This group aims to help promote healthier eating habits for high risk populations; while remaining mindful of the financial berries that often prevent many high risk populations from making healthy food choices. As nurses we want to promote health while reducing chronic disease. This model is parallel with the ideas formulated by the Healthy People 2020 promotion. We strive to enlighten the consumer of the berries many communities suffer from, in relation to food availability, store locations and healthy choices within the stores available to most consumers. Additionally bringing awareness toward the social and ethnic inequalities of healthy food access and consumption.

Individuals will have increased knowledge and skills to make healthier food choices while identifying the barriers involved.

Healthier options are identifiable to the all consumers with a focus on those with low incomes.

Objective of this presentation:

Goal

Those options defined are available and affordable.

Healthy People 2020 Goals

The Healthy People of 2020 list very specific goals related to Nutrition and Weight Status, with a subtopic focus on Healthier Food Access. By 2020 the Healthy People initiative hopes to achieve: Increase the number of States that have State-level policies that incentivize food

retail outlets to provide foods that are encouraged by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

(Developmental) Increase the proportion of Americans who have access to a food retail outlet that sells a variety of foods that are encouraged by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

By states mandating the availability of affordable food locations to all consumers it will decrease the likelihood of “food deserts”. Thus decreasing households from experiencing food insecurity.

(HealthyPeople 2020, 2014)

U.S. Households Experiencing Food Insecurity

The proportion of U.S. households that reported experiencing food insecurity during a 12-month period increased 21.8% between 1995 and 2012, from 11.9% to 14.5%.

HealthyPeople.gov SOURCE: Current Population Survey—Food Security Supplement (CPS-FSS), Department of Commerce/Census Bureau

Literature Review

People who live in low-income neighborhoods with at least one grocery store are more likely to consume fruits and vegetables (Ipatenco, n.d.).

Convenience/liquor/corner stores offer fewer than half of the selected healthful foods and sold healthful foods at higher prices than did supermarkets (Azuma et al., 2010, p. 1).

Diets that include fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can reduce the risk for obesity and its consequences (Azuma et al., 2010, p. 1).

Heart disease causes more than 2.4 million deaths in the US every year (Food Empowerment Program, 2015).

Literature Review Continued

Human taste preferences for sugar and fat are either innate or acquired very early in life (Drewnowski, A. and Specter, 2004).

“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that the highest obesity rates were associated with the lowest incomes” (Drewnowski and Specter, 2004, p. 6).

Educational opportunities that teach low-income families how to eat a healthy diet can go a long way toward improving diets (Ipatenco, n.d.).

Campaigns can teach low-income populations about obesity and its related health problems so they're motivated to make changes (Ipatenco, n.d).

Environmental and Community Risk Factors

Decreased availability of fresh produce and lean proteins Locations of supermarkets, gas stations, and convenience stores

Demographics and Social Determinants

“Studies have found that wealthy districts have three times as many supermarkets as poor ones do, that white neighborhoods contain an average of four times as many supermarkets as predominantly black ones do, and that grocery stores in African-American communities are usually smaller with less selection” (Food Empowerment Program, 2015).“Good nutrition does go beyond mere survival and should include taste, convenience, and variety and be consistent with societal norms” (Drewnowski,& Eichelsdoerfer, 2010).

Social factors thought to influence diet include:

Knowledge and attitudes Skills Social support Societal and cultural norms Food and agricultural policies Food assistance programs Economic price systems

HealthyPeople 2020, 2014)

Factors That Effect Low Income Populations and Healthy Food Choices

Locations and types of supermarkets versus convenient stores

Suburban versus Rural populations Household weekly food budgets Food habits beginning in early childhood Cultural diets

Health Belief Model

Theory of Planned Behavior:Based on perceived behavior controlSimilar to the concept of self-efficacyBehaviors that are assessed with self-report generally produce better predictorsIncludes “habit strength,” which relates to behavioral factors such as awareness in performing behavior, difficulty controlling the behavior, and mental efficiency in performing the behavior.

(Pender, Murdaugh, & Parsons, 2015, pp 31-32).

Plan of Action

Provide educational seminars in public facilities such as schools, workplaces, and community centers in order to educate people of all ages.

Information such as pamphlets can be handed out at locations offering food assistance programs encouraging people to attend seminars or evaluate government resources such as HealthyPeople.gov and Myplate.gov.

Information Included in Seminars

Develop a Plan Plan AheadBe PreparedBargain ShopEat InUse Available Resources

Government Assistance OrganizationsSupplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)ChooseMyPlate.gov

Evaluation

EVALUATION: Pre and post seminar evaluations Record obesity statuses after

interventions have been in place for at least three months

Survey attendees on what assisted them the most to accomplish the objectives

References

Azuma A., M., Gilliland, S., Vallianatos, M., & Gottlieb R. (2010). Food access, availability, and affordability in 3 Los Angeles communities, Project CAFE, 2004-2006. Preventing Chronic Disease. 7(2): A27.

Drewnowski, A., & Eichelsdoerfer, P. (2010). Can Low-Income Americans Afford a Healthy Diet? Nutrition Today, 44(6), 246–249. doi:10.1097/NT.0b013e3181c29f79

Drewnowski, A. and Specter, S.E. (2004). Poverty and obesity: the role of energy density and energy costs. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 70(1), 6-16.

Food Empowerment Program. (2015). Food deserts. Retrieved from http://www.foodispower.org/food-deserts/ Healthy People 2020. (2014). 2020 Topics and objectives: nutrition and weight status. Retrieved from HealthyPeople.gov Ipatenco, S. (n.d.). The eating habits of low-income populations. Retrieved from http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/eating- habits-

lowincome-populations-11376.html Pender, N.J., Murdaugh, C.L. & Parsons, M.A. (2015). Health promotion in nursing practice (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:

Pearson United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). (2015). Choosemyplate.gov. Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ UpLift Solutions. (2012). Low income food shopping lists: Buying healthy food for kids, on a budget. Retrieved from

http://www.upliftsolutions.org/low-income-food-shopping-for-kids