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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Food security and nutrition

Best Practices in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training (E&T) Programs: 2016–2020 Final Report
A literature review of 105 research studies and papers from 2016-2020 related to employment and training programs for low-income individuals, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Employment and Training (E&T). Includes information about program changes, referral and retention strategies, work-based interventions, and more. Includes discussions about rural contexts throughout.
Additional links: Summary
Author(s): Anne Paprocki, Melissa Mack, Mahika Rangnekar
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Social Policy Research, USDA Food and Nutrition Service
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Children Living in Households That Experienced Food Insecurity: United States, 2019–2020
Presents information on children living in food insecure households based on data from the 2019-2020 National Health Interview Survey. Provides data on food insecurity according to sex, age, race and ethnicity, urbanicity, and family structure. Figure 3 shows percentage of children experiencing food insecurity in nonmetropolitan, medium and small metro, large fringe metro, and large central metro.
Author(s): Heidi Ullmann, Julie D. Weeks, Jennifer H. Madans
Date: 02/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: National Center for Health Statistics
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SNAP Spending Contributed to Rural Economic Output and Jobs Following the Great Recession
Chart comparing rural and urban economic impacts of the USDA's Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) during the period of high unemployment from 2009-2014. Uses USDA Economic Research Service data, USDA Food and Nutrition Service data, and 2014 U.S. base level data from IMPLAN Group, LLC.
Date: 02/2022
Type: Chart/Graph
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Food Insecurity among American Indian and Alaska Native People: A Scoping Review to Inform Future Research and Policy Needs
Presents a literature review focused on food insecurity in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. Analyzes 34 studies and synthesizes major issues across the research such as prevalence of food insecurity, cultural foods and food sovereignty, strategies to improve food access, and the need for cultural competency when studying food insecurity in AI/AN populations.
Author(s): Cassandra J Nikolaus, Selisha Johnson, Tia Benally, et al.
Citation: Advances in Nutrition, 13(5), 1566-1583
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
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Aligning Systems to Advance Family and Community Well-Being: A Partnership Playbook for Community Action and Human Services Agencies
Provides an overview of how community action and human service agencies partnered, collaborated, and aligned services to address COVID-19 on a family-level and a systems-level. Presents field examples of partnerships in rural Maryland and rural Ohio with their successes and challenges when aligning services such as Head Start, housing assistance, and more. Discusses how rural models and strategies were employed in other geographic areas to mitigate COVID-19 issues in communities.
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: American Public Human Services Association, Community Action Partnership
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Strengths and Stressors in Region XI Head Start: The Role of Social Support and Economic Condition in the Well-Being of Children and Families from AIAN FACES 2019
Report examining the effects of social support and economic conditions on family well-being for American Indian and Alaska Native communities based on data from the 2019 American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (AIAN FACES). Provides data on cultural activities, food and housing, parental material hardships, supports, and income and discusses family well-being in relation to child physical and behavioral health.
Author(s): Sara Bernstein, Katie Gonzalez, Sharika Rakibullah, Lizabeth Malone, Jeffrey Harrington
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: ACF Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, Mathematica
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Virginia Rural Health Plan 2022-2026
Identifies key objectives and priorities for rural health in Virginia including broadband access, healthy housing, transportation, nutrition and food security, maternal and child health, access to healthcare services, behavioral health, aging in place, and workforce development. Features statistics with breakdowns by rural and nonrural areas.
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Virginia State Office of Rural Health
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COVID-19: Significant Improvements Are Needed for Overseeing Relief Funds and Leading Responses to Public Health Emergencies
Discusses the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides an overview of federal actions on healthcare and economic policy areas through early January 2022, including data on COVID-19 relief spending and vaccinations. Offers 5 new recommendations to federal agencies regarding emergency rental assistance, nutrition assistance, and tax relief for businesses. Also designates the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) leadership and coordination of a range of public health emergencies as high risk to ensure sustained executive branch and congressional attention so the nation is prepared for future emergencies.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Online Pilot Grocery Intervention Among Rural and Urban Residents Aimed to Improve Purchasing Habits
Results of a study comparing food purchase choices of 129 rural and urban adults in 7 counties in Kentucky, Maryland, and North Carolina who shopped at online or brick-and-mortar stores during an 8-week-long intervention in the fall of 2021. Features statistics including intervention effect of fruit and vegetable purchases during the study, and demographics with breakdowns by urban or rural location.
Author(s): Alison Gustafson, Rachel Gillespie, Emily DeWitt, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(2), 871
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
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Disaster Recovery: School Districts in Socially Vulnerable Communities Faced Heightened Challenges after Recent Natural Disasters
Examines 5 school districts in socially vulnerable communities and describes problems faced by students after disasters, including housing instability, food insecurity, and lack of access to mental health services, especially in rural communities. Includes a state- and territory-level map showing school districts that received federal recovery grants for 2017-2019 presidentially-declared disasters.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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