Background: College students experience food insecurity at a rate 3.5 times higher than the U.S. general population, affecting 43% of students. Furthermore, college students consume high amounts of ultra-processed products. NOVA, a food classification system, takes into account food processing and is thought to better fit the modern food environment. Purpose: The purpose of this research project was to examine the impact of CalFresh enrollment on food security status. This study also evaluated the impact of two different nutrition education interventions (MyPlate and MyPlate+NOVA) on participants’ dietary habits and nutrition knowledge. Methods: Food security, dietary habits, and nutrition knowledge were assessed at baseline, three-month, and at six months follow-up. Food security status was measured using the USDA 6-item Short Form Food Security Assessment Module. A 12-week mobile nutrition education intervention providing MyPlate or MyPlate+NOVA nutrition messages was implemented, and dietary habits were assessed using an adapted NHANES 2009-2010 dietary screener questionnaire, while nutrition knowledge questions were created from the nutrition education messages. Results: Food insecurity decreased by approximately 63% among CalFresh participants. There were no differences in dietary habits or nutrition knowledge among any of the intervention groups or the control group.

Background: Nutritional psychiatry is an emerging field of research and it is currently exploring the impact of nutrition and obesity on brain function and mental illness. Prior studies links between obesity, nutrition and depression among women. However, less is known how food insecurity may moderate that relationship. Methods: Data were employed from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES), 2001-2003. Two logistic regression models were Logistic regression was used to determine the association between obesity, gender, food insecurity, and past year Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). We then stratified by gender, and tested the association between obesity and past year MDD, and if food insecurity moderated the association. Results: Obesity was associated with an increased risk for past year Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) among females (AOR = 1.35; 95% CI 1.17-1.55) and was not associated among males (AOR = 1.07; 95% CI, 0.86-1.32). Women who reported that reported both obesity and food insecurity reported higher odds of past year MDD episode (AOR = 3.16; 95% CI, 2.36-4.21, than women who did not report food insecurity (AOR = 1.08; 95% CI, 1.02-1.38). Conclusion: With rising rates of mental health problems, females should be closely monitored to understand how poor diets, food insecurity, and obesity play a role in mental health outcomes. It is recommended that clinicians and treatment providers consider the patient's diet and access to nutritious foods when conducting their assessment.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第18165号 / 医博第3885号 / 新制||医||1003(附属図書館) / 31023 / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 中山 健夫, 教授 髙折 晃史, 教授 中原 俊隆 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

Structural adjustment measures adopted during the early 1990s considerably altered the rural landscape throughout Zambia. Households responded and continue to respond in a variety of ways, although many do so under highly inequitable terms. Poverty rates, food insecurity, and income inequality all remain unacceptably high in Zambia, particularly in rural areas. Using a biocultural and livelihoods approach, this alternate "publication in scholarly journals" format dissertation examines some of the complexities that condition livelihoods and differentially shape biologies in rural Zambia today. Three main problems are explored: 1) the relationship between food insecurity and adult mental health; 2) piecework (casual labor) as a coping strategy and indicator of household vulnerability to food insecurity; and 3) the association between relative deprivation and adult physical health. Research for the dissertation took place in a rural area in Eastern Province, Zambia in 2009. The research employed a mixed methodology, collecting qualitative and household-level survey data during the rainy and dry seasons. Various statistical analyses were utilized in the three papers appended to the dissertation. The results were further explored using the findings from the qualitative data. In paper one, a positive relationship between food insecurity and poor mental health was found. Food insecurity during the dry season had a greater effect on mental health than in the rainy season. In paper two, the results demonstrate the importance of piecework labor as a coping strategy and the need to adopt a multi-period lens to robustly assess whether participation in piecework reflects a household's vulnerability to food insecurity. In the third paper, a negative association was established between relative deprivation and adult nutritional status. Together, the results from the dissertation provide clear evidence that both the material and relative circumstances of people play important roles in patterning variation in mental and physical health outcomes in rural Zambia.

Food Security is a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life (FAO, 1996). 17% of Kentuckians are food insecure (Kentucky Department of Agriculture, 2016). This study explored the quality of life (QoL) impact of the Bluegrass Double Dollars (BGDD) program on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants through secondary data analysis. Utilizing the categories of quality of life indicators established by The Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress (CMEPSP) the results from this study concluded that participating in the BGDD program provides some level of quality of life benefits.

This study explored food insecurity by examining the ways in which residents of low-income, urban communities access food. The primary elements of this thesis are an analysis of the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the populations surrounding food retailers, and a survey of the availability, cost, and quality of fresh fruits and vegetables in food stores commonly found in the urban environment. Overall, this study found that low-income, minority communities are largely served by independent supermarkets, small grocers and convenience stores that charge higher prices for staple foods. Conversely, it was found that wealthy areas enjoy easy access to corporate supermarkets that offer higher-quality foods at lower prices.

Master of Arts / Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work / Gerad Middendorf / Despite ideals of justice and equality, certain segments of the U.S. population are denied the rights and privileges available to the more affluent. This thesis examines the relationships between 1) neighborhood race and class composition and 2) food availability. We explore the extent to which physical and social isolation affects healthy food availability to groups marginalized by race and class. Specifically, we examine the relationship between residential racial and income composition and the availability of healthy foods. We use census tract data from the 2010 U.S. census and 5-year estimates from the 2006-2010 American Community Survey for Topeka, Kansas. For data on food stores we use InfoUSA, a professionally maintained database that provides detailed information on a variety of businesses. We verify this data with various “on the ground” techniques. We conclude with a discussion of the relevance of this work to the knowledge base regarding food environments in the United States.

Objetivo. Verificar a existência de associações entre a insegurança alimentar e nutricional e padrões alimentares, a participação em programas sociais, dentre outros fatores em adolescentes de escolas públicas de Piracicaba (SP). Métodos. Este estudo foi conduzido em amostra probabilística de 488 escolares da 5ª série do ensino fundamental da rede pública de Piracicaba. Foram coletadas informações demográficas, antropométricas, bioquímicas e de pressão arterial, sobre a adesão à alimentação escolar, e de consumo alimentar a partir de Questionário de Frequência Alimentar Simplificado para Adolescentes (QFASA). Também foram obtidas informações sobre situações de insegurança alimentar e nutricional (IAN), participação em programas de transferência de renda e informações socioeconômicas. Foram realizadas análises descritivas, testes de Qui-quadrado de Pearson, t de Student e U de Mann Whitney. Padrões alimentares foram definidos a partir de Análise de Componentes Principais. A análise de regressão logística avaliou a influência de múltiplas variáveis na presença de IAN (variável dependente dicotômica). O estudo foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética da Faculdade de Saúde Pública. Resultados. De 308 escolares da amostra final, 54,5 por cento eram meninas. Mais de 40 por cento dos lares de escolares entrevistados apresentaram algum nível de IAN. Observaram-se elevadas proporções de adesão à alimentação escolar (70 por cento ) e de excesso de peso (39 por cento ). O principal padrão alimentar observado contou com maior participação de doces, massas, carnes, salgados, pães, frutas e hortaliças. Conclusão. A insegurança alimentar e nutricional determinou a participação no Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar e em programas de transferência de renda. Quando se observa um adolescente que pratica o padrão alimentar descrito, que reconhece a importância da alimentação escolar para o desenvolvimento físico e que cujo domicílio tem mais pessoas ocupadas, a probabilidade de tratar-se de um indivíduo que está em situação de IAN é menor. / Objective . To verify possible associations between food insecurity and food patterns, participation in social programs and other factors among adolescents enrolled in public schools of Piracicaba (SP). Methods . This study was conducted in a representative sample of 488 students enrolled in the fifth grade of public schools of Piracicaba. Data about demographic, anthropometric, biochemical, blood pressure, school feeding and food intake information were collected using computerized questionnaires and a Food Frequency Questionnaire Simplified for Adolescents (QFASA). Information about food insecurity, socioeconomic characteristics, and participation in Conditional Cash Transfer Programs were also obtained. Descriptive analysis, Chi-squared test to categorical variables, and t-Student and Mann-Whitney U test in order to compare means between groups were performed. Food patterns were predicted from food intake data, using the Principal Component Analysis method. These food patterns were transformed in variables and were used in logistic regression analysis. Food insecurity was the dependent variable. The study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the School of Public Health. Results. Out of the total 308 scholars of the final sample, 55 per cent were girls. More than 40 per cent of adolescents households presented some level of food insecurity. High proportions of students who consumed the school feeding (70 per cent ) and that were overweight (39 per cent ) were observed. The main dietary pattern observed was composed of higher participation of sweets, pasta, meats, pastries breads, fruits and vegetables. Conclusion. Food and nutrition insecurity (FNI) in scholars enrolled in public schools of Piracicaba determined their participation in the National School Feeding Program and in the Conditional Cash Transfer Programs. A teenager who practices the described eating pattern, who recognizes the importance of the school feeding for the physical development and whose home has more people employed, is less likely to be in a FNI status.

Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional é a garantia, a todos, de condições de acesso a alimentos básicos de qualidade, em quantidade suficiente, de modo permanente e sem comprometer outras necessidades essenciais, e o desrespeito a este direito indica a insegurança alimentar. Para caracterizar a situação de segurança alimentar das famílias e o estado nutricional de crianças menores de 5 anos de idade de creches no município de Ribeirão Preto-SP desenvolveu-se um estudo transversal e descritivo, com 344 crianças e suas famílias. A segurança alimentar das famílias foi avaliada com a Escala Brasileira de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional (EBIA) e as famílias classificadas em situação de Segurança Alimentar (SA) e Insegurança Alimentar Leve (IAL), Moderada (IAM) e Grave (IAG). Aplicou-se uma entrevista com os pais para coleta de variáveis sócio-econômicas e demográficas com um questionário estruturado. A antropometria foi realizada nas creches e os índices Peso/Idade (P/I), Peso/Estatura (P/E), Estatura/Idade (E/I) e IMC/Idade (IMC/I) calculados segundo padrão da Organização Mundial da Saúde (2006). Para a classificação do estado nutricional adotou-se os pontos de corte do SISVAN (Ministério da Saúde). Foram calculadas medidas de prevalências e verificou-se associação entre as variáveis do estudo pelo teste qui-quadrado. Identificou-se que a SA estava presente em 45,7% das famílias, enquanto que a IAL, IAM e IAG foram encontradas em 42,4%, 7,8% e 4,1% das famílias, respectivamente. A análise dos dados sócio-econômicos apontou maior proporção de mães com ensino fundamental e de pais que não moram com a família entre aquelas com IA. Verificou-se proporção maior de residência inacabada, menor número de cômodos, maior número de moradores no domicílio, vinculo com programas sociais e menor renda per capita entre as famílias em situação de IA (p<0,05). Não se observou diferenças entre as prevalências de desvios nutricionais e a condição de SA das famílias. Entretanto, observou-se prevalência de 9,3% de baixa estatura, 2,3% de baixo peso pelo índice P/I e 1,5% de magreza segundo P/E e IMC/I. O excesso de peso segundo P/I foi encontrado em 11,0% das crianças. Os índices IMC/I e P/E indicaram prevalências de 8,7% e 7,3% de crianças acima de +2 escoreZ, 2,9% e 2,3% acima de +3 escoreZ, respectivamente. A situação de insegurança alimentar é prevalente na população estudada, sobretudo entre as famílias com pior condição socioeconômica. Foi observado que o excesso de peso é o principal problema nutricional nesta população infantil. Novos estudos são necessários para o melhor conhecimento das características que condicionam a insegurança alimentar e o estado nutricional desta população visando a elaboração de estratégias de enfrentamento desta situação. / Food and Nutritional Security is the assurance of everyone´s right to regular and permanent acess to food in sufficient amounts, permanently and without endangering other essential needs. Disregard to such rights would indicate food security. In order to characterize a situation of food insecurity in families and the nutritional status of under 5-year-old 344 children enrolled in day care center in Ribeirão Preto city and their families was developed on descriptive and cross-section study. The food security of each family was assessed with the Brazilian Food Security Scale Escala Brasileira de Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional (EBIA) and the families were rated according to their situation: food security and mild, moderate and severe food insecurity. Interviews with the parents was performed to collect socioeconomic and demographic variables with a structured questionnaire. The childrens weight and heigth were taken and the indicators of weight-for-age (WAZ), weight-for-height (WHZ), height-for-age (HAZ) and body mass index-age (BMZ) was defined to the 2006 WHO child growth tandards, and the classification of the nutritional status were adopted the cut-off scores of SISVAN. The prevalence values were calculated and an association between the variables of the study was evaluated by according to the chi-quadrate test. Prevalence of food security was 45.7%, and mild, moderate and severe food insecurity were found in 42.4%, 7.8% and 4.1% households. Socioeconomic analysis showed a higher frequence of low maternal education and fathers who do not live with their families among household food insecurity. There was a higher proportion of unfinished residence, fewer rooms, a larger number of household members, social programs link and with lower per capita income among families in IA (p <0.05). However, the prevalence of 9.3% of stunting (HAZ), 2.3% of underweight (WAZ) and 1.5% of wasting to WHZ and BMZ was observed. Overweight according to WAZ was found in 11.0%. The BMZ and WHZ indicated the prevalence of 8.7% and 7.3% overweight and 2.9% and 2.3% children of obesity. The situation of food insecurity is prevalent in this population, especially among families with lower socioeconomic status. We found that excess weight is the main nutritional problem in this infant population. Further studies are necessary to improve knowledge of the characteristics that govern food insecurity and the nutritional status of this population, with the goal of elaborating coping strategies for such a situation.

Treating food as a commodity is a dominant mode of valuing food in the United States, and around the world, in which people exchange money for food. But in a world that can feed over 10-billion people why is poverty still a primary barrier to food security? This dissertation adds to the food justice and political economy literature by arguing that food insecurity will linger far into the future, despite technological advancements, because of the current food system which values food as a commodity instead of valuing food as a human right. Through an analysis of 23 semi-structured interviews with volunteers and workers in Oregon, and field research at a community garden, this dissertation highlights how even in the minds of people who advocate for food as a human right, the human right to food may only a right to people with enough money. This research illuminates how thinking of food as a money-exchange commodity builds a socially constructed wall between hungry people and abundant food.