Studying the place of technology to lower financial barriers for dietary change.
BACKGROUND
Current dietary self-monitoring systems assume users have access to healthy foods and resources to effectively implement and monitor dietary behavioral change.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the specific financial-related barriers that caregivers of low socioeconomic status encounter when attempting to make dietary behavior change.


METHODS
In this qualitative study, we conducted a focus group and 14 in-person interviews with the primary caregivers of low socioeconomic families. Participants were recruited from a community considered to be 'at risk' through high levels of exposure to multiple modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease. All participants were English-speaking caregivers, who had children under eight years old. The families lived in an urban, public housing community. The focus group and interviews were transcribed and coded during data analysis sessions, then analyzed for emergent themes.


RESULTS
We abstracted three main themes from the data. The caregivers of 17 families: 1) feared trying healthier food alternatives because of possibly wasting the food; 2) planned meals only when they had enough time, space, and financial security; and 3) defined produce as luxury items and often could only afford staple food items, such as meat and grains.


CONCLUSIONS
We challenge the community to design technological interventions to lower the financial barriers presented with existing information and communication technology available to low socioeconomic populations. In addition, we encourage interventions to foster a community's social capital to decrease feelings of isolation and increase opportunities for cooperation.
Siek
K A
KA
Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado at Boulder, CO 80309-0430, USA. ksiek@cs.colorado.edu
Maitland
J
J
D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000191:economics / Q000517:prevention & control; D017028:Caregivers / Q000191:economics* / Q000193:education*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008875:Middle Aged; D009753:Nutritive Value; D011203:Poverty / Q000191:economics*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012648:Self Care / Q000191:economics*; D012984:Software; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult