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Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Food security and nutrition

The State of Nutrition in America 2021
Video of testimony presented to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry on Nov. 2, 2021. Discusses nutrition insecurity, nutrition-related health disparities, and diet-related disease, including ways in which this affects those who are low-income, rural, American Indians and Alaska Natives, and other racial or ethnic minorities. Includes links for transcripts.
Additional links: Testimony by Angela Odoms-Young, Cornell University, Testimony by Angela Rachidi, American Enterprise Institute, Testimony by Dariush Mozaffarian, Tufts School of Medicine, Testimony by Donald Warne, University of North Dakota, Testimony by Patrick Stover, Texas A&M University
Author(s): Dariush Mozaffarian, Angela Odoms-Young, Donald Warne, Patrick Stover, Angela Rachidi
Date: 11/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry
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Rural Communities Leading the Way: Introducing Local Foods to Meal Service
Discusses how 3 rural communities utilize local food procurement strategies to provide for school meals. Includes approaches to overcome food insecurity, invest in local food economies, and provide educational opportunities for students related to agriculture and science.
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: No Kid Hungry
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Navigating Food Insecurity as a Rural Older Adult: The Importance of Congregate Meal Sites, Social Networks and Transportation Services
Explores food insecurity as experienced by older adults in rural Indiana. Provides maps showing places to access food in southern Indiana as well as demographic information of interviewees compared to national averages, such as income, race and ethnicity, presence of disability, and more. Discusses issues such as transportation, living alone, and closure of congregate meal sites.
Author(s): Julia C.D. Valliant, Mecca E. Burris, Kamila Czebotar, et al.
Citation: Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, 17(5), 593-614
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
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The State of the World's Children 2021 - On My Mind: Promoting, Protecting and Caring for Children's Mental Health
Examines child, adolescent, and caregiver mental health, focusing on risks and protective factors at critical moments in the life course. Discusses COVID-19's effect on mental health, and the social determinants that shape mental health and well-being. Features statistics on child mortality rates, maternal and child health, HIV/AIDS, nutrition, early childhood development, and education, with breakdowns by countries and territories including Palau, Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands.
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
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Longitudinal Analysis of Neighborhood Food Environment and Diabetes Risk in the Veterans Administration Diabetes Risk Cohort
Results of a study examining the association between neighborhood food environment and risk of type 2 diabetes across communities, with breakdowns by high-density urban, low-density urban, suburban, and rural locations. Features statistics including characteristics of the diabetes risk cohort, and incidence of type 2 diabetes by demographic characteristics, overall and by community type.
Author(s): Rania Kanchi, Priscilla Lopez, Pasquale E. Rummo, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 4(10)
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
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COVID-19: Additional Actions Needed to Improve Accountability and Program Effectiveness of Federal Response
Discusses the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Provides an overview of federal actions on healthcare and economic policy areas through September 2021, including data on COVID-19 relief spending, testing, worker health and safety, and child nutrition programs. Offers 16 new recommendations to federal agencies regarding the proper use of relief funding, occupational health and safety, and fraud risks to unemployment insurance programs that would improve the federal response and preparation for future public health emergencies.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Impact of USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on Rural and Urban Economies in the Aftermath of the Great Recession
Reports on the effects of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit spending on employment, output, and household incomes between 2009-2014. Describes the different impacts of SNAP benefit outlays on urban and rural economies.
Additional links: Report Summary
Author(s): Stephen Vogel, Cristina Miller, Katherine Ralston
Date: 10/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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How Rural Communities Overcame Challenges During COVID-19 Pandemic
A recorded webinar that provides an overview of the experiences of 16 No Kid Hungry grantees who worked with exclusively rural schools and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discusses the demand for free and accessible meals, the benefits of partnerships, and the need for flexibility to break down barriers related to food insecurity.
Additional links: Report, Slide Deck
Date: 09/2021
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: No Kid Hungry, Save the Children, Walmart Foundation
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Hunger, Poverty, and Health Disparities During COVID-19 and the Federal Nutrition Programs' Role in an Equitable Recovery
Examines how food security and health were impacted by COVID-19, particularly for underserved populations and areas. Discusses the role of federal nutrition programs in addressing disparities. Includes analysis specific to rural communities.
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Food Research & Action Center
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Strengthening SNAP and TANF is Essential to Support Children in Early Childhood
Research brief examining participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in Virginia during children's first six years of life. Uses administrative data from the Virginia Longitudinal Data System to explore differences in participation by race and residence in rural versus urban counties.
Author(s): Colleen Heflin, Michah W. Rothbart, Mattie Mackenzie-Liu
Date: 09/2021
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion
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