Home availability of both healthful and unhealthful foods may influence consumption among rural adolescent populations. In conjunction, the availability of food in an individual’s local food environment has the potential to significantly impact what is procured for the home and eaten away from the home. The purpose of this study was to determine how in-store food availability and parental purchases influences home availability and, ultimately, dietary intake among adolescents. This study measured perceived home availability, using the University of Minnesota Project EAT Survey, and dietary intake, using the NHANES Dietary Screener Questionnaire, of (n=28) adolescent participants in two Kentucky counties during 2013. Availability of food in local stores was measured using the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey in Stores (NEM-S). The results of multiple linear regression analysis suggest that overall store availability does not significantly impact parental purchases. However, in-store availability of specific unhealthy food categories, such as snacks, junk food, candy, and pop, was associated with increased parental purchases of similar unwholesome items and a greater predicted intake of sugar. Therefore, it may be beneficial to develop interventions aimed at decreasing the availability of unhealthy food items in stores in order to improve diet quality among rural adolescents.

This mixed-methods study addresses the relationship between the availability of food and realized food access by studying the retail food landscape of Holyoke, Massachusetts – a small, socio-economically diverse city. While a large body of empirical research finds that low-income communities and communities of color are especially likely to lack adequate access to healthy foods and experience increased vulnerability to food insecurity, few studies explore urban food environments through a mixed-methods case study approach. Through the use of food store mapping, store audits, and resident interviews, this research is a nascent attempt to articulate how the unique development histories and cultural politics of urban neighborhoods affect food access. The analysis finds that local food environments in Holyoke vary by social and spatial context. The study further considers how health and stability of a community is affected by the distribution and variety of food retail stores. In particular the study articulates the constructs of race and class in the food environment via the spatial mismatch of preferred food stores, mobility challenges, and the role of small urban food stores in the context of Holyoke’s foodscape. Implications for local food security policy are discussed.

Problématique : Marqueur d’inégalités sociales, l’insécurité alimentaire (IA) est un problème de santé publique persistant au Canada. La crise liée à la COVID-19, suivie d’un contexte inflationniste, a entraîné des milliers de Québécois dans l’instabilité financière, augmentant considérablement la prévalence d’IA. Elle a aussi fortement déstabilisé les ressources alimentaires communautaires (RAC), alors que leur recours fait partie des stratégies d’adaptation en situation d’IA. Objectif : Comprendre comment la disponibilité des RAC a influencé l’accès aux aliments et les stratégies d’adaptation des ménages vulnérables à l’IA depuis l’implantation des mesures sanitaires liées à la COVID-19. Méthodologie : Dans cette recherche qualitative, douze entretiens de type récit de vie ont été réalisés auprès de ménages à faible revenu de deux quartiers montréalais contrastés en matière de disponibilité en RAC. Quatre étapes d’analyse ont été effectuées à l’aide du logiciel NVivo. Résultats : Depuis l’implantation des mesures sanitaires, tous les participants ont éprouvé davantage de difficultés d’accès aux aliments et ils ont utilisé plus de stratégies d’adaptation. Les plus vulnérables ont utilisé plus de stratégies de dernier recours, dont les RAC. Trois parcours de vulnérabilité à l’IA ont été identifiés, selon un continuum de gravité des difficultés vécues. La quantité et les types de stratégies d’adaptation, dont l’utilisation de RAC, variaient en fonction des parcours de vulnérabilité plutôt que de leur disponibilité. Discussion : Pour comprendre l’influence de la disponibilité des RAC sur l’accès aux aliments, il est nécessaire de considérer les besoins des ménages en fonction de leur vulnérabilité à l’IA. Une plus grande attention devrait être accordée aux parcours de vie des individus dans la mise en œuvre d’interventions communautaires en sécurité alimentaire. / Problem: A marker of social inequality, food insecurity (FI) is a persistent public health issue in Canada. The COVID-19 crisis, followed by an inflationary context, has dragged thousands of Quebecers into financial instability, considerably increasing the prevalence of FI. It has also destabilized community food resources (CFR), their use being a core of coping strategies in an FI situation. Objective: To understand how the availability of CFR has influenced food access and the use of coping strategies by households vulnerable to FI since the implementation of mitigation strategies for COVID-19. Methodology: In this qualitative research, twelve interviews using the life story method (60 min.) were conducted with low-income households in two Montreal neighborhoods with contrasting CFR availability. Four successive stages of analysis were performed using NVivo software. Results: Since implementation of mitigation strategies, all participants have faced greater difficulties in food access and have used more coping strategies. The most vulnerable relied more last-resort strategies, including CFR. Three paths of vulnerability to FI were identified, according to a severity of food access issues continuum. The quantity and type of coping strategies, including the use of CFR varied according to the paths of vulnerability rather than their availability. Discussion: To understand the influence of CFR on food access, it is necessary to consider the needs of households according to their vulnerability to FI. More attention should be paid to the life course of individuals in the implementation of community-based food security interventions.