title: Healthy options: a community-based program to address food insecurity.
abstract: The objectives of this study are to better understand the lived experience of food insecurity in our community and to examine the impact of a community-based program developed to increase access to local, healthy foods. Participants were given monthly vouchers to spend at local farmers' markets and invited to engage in a variety of community activities. Using a community-based participatory research framework, mixed methods were employed. Survey results suggest that most respondents were satisfied with the program and many increased their fruit and vegetable consumption. However, over 40% of respondents reported a higher level of stress over having enough money to buy nutritious meals at the end of the program. Photovoice results suggest that the program fostered cross-cultural exchanges, and offered opportunities for social networking. Building on the many positive outcomes of the program, community partners are committed to using this research to further develop policy-level solutions to food insecurity.
authors.affiliation: a Health Sciences Department , Gettysburg College , Gettysburg , Pennsylvania , USA.
authors.forename: Amy B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Dailey
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hess
authors.forename: Camille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Horton
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Constantian
authors.forename: Salma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Monani
authors.forename: Betsy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wargo
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Kathy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gaskin
mesh_terms: D003153:Community Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005523:Food Supply; D005638:Fruit; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D010414:Pennsylvania; D011203:Poverty; D014675:Vegetables
keywords: Hispanics; community-based participatory research; food insecurity; qualitative research