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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Food security and nutrition

Columbia Gorge Region, Oregon and Washington: 2016 RWJF Culture of Health Prize Winner
Describes how the communities within the Columbia Gorge region took a collaborative approach by developing a 15-member community advisory committee that included Medicaid recipients and Latino residents. Top concerns addressed by this committee were food, housing, jobs and transportation, along with improved access to dental and mental health, and better coordination among social services and healthcare providers. Projects included expanding the use and training of community health workers (CHWs) to assist Latino residents when navigating programs outside of healthcare and the development of a fruit and vegetable prescription program to support increased intake of healthy foods. A collective impact specialist was hired to help solve community problems through collaborative efforts, and to find grants and other sources of funding to support their projects. Columbia Gorge Region is a recipient of the 2016 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Culture of Health Prize.
Date: 2016
Sponsoring organization: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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Fewer Than Half of WIC-Eligible Families Receive WIC Benefits
Examines the characteristics of families eligible for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) who receive WIC benefits compared to those who do not. Includes information on rural versus urban families participating in WIC. Identifies nonparticipating WIC-eligible families that could be targeted for outreach.
Author(s): Kristin Smith
Date: 2016
Sponsoring organization: Carsey School of Public Policy
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Health Equity Series: Food Insecurity
Reports on disparities related to food security in Missouri. Includes a brief history of the topic and a discussion on food access. Covers other socio-economic factors that can contribute to food insecurity. Sections 15 and 20 focus specifically on rural versus urban comparisons.
Author(s): Cindy Calender
Date: 12/2015
Sponsoring organization: Missouri Foundation for Health
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Measuring the Food Access Gap in Native American Tribal Areas
Compares food access for the nation as a whole with access in tribal areas to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) authorized supermarkets and Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) sites.
Author(s): Michelle Saksena
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 12/2015
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Schools Vary - And That Means Meal Costs Vary Too
Examines school meal costs and identifies factors that affect per-meal costs, including the school food authority's location, size, and balance between the number of lunches and breakfasts served. Includes data on school meal costs for rural, suburban, and urban schools.
Author(s): Joanne Guthrie, Michael Ollinger
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 12/2015
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Formative Evaluation to Increase Availability of Healthy Snacks and Beverages in Stores Near Schools in Two Rural Oregon Counties, 2013
Results of a study using interviews conducted at 15 food stores in 8 rural eastern Oregon communities, to determine owners' perspectives on customer demand for healthy snacks and beverages, space constraints, vendor influence, and perishability. Includes statistics on percentages of stores stocking single-portion and multiportion units of specific foods and beverages.
Author(s): Betty T. Izumi, Nancy E. Findholt, Hayley A. Pickus
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 12
Date: 12/2015
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Rural School Food Service Director Perceptions on Voluntary School Meal Reforms
Results of a study using telephone interviews and online surveys to examine barriers and facilitators to participation in voluntary school meal programs such as farm-to-school and school garden programs.
Author(s): Natoshia M. Askelson, Disa Lubker Cornish, Elizabeth Golembiewski
Citation: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 6(1), 65-75
Date: 11/2015
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Development and Validation of a Farmers' Market Audit Tool in Rural and Urban Communities
Describes a tool designed to measure availability of food items and key characteristics of farmers' markets. Features statistics from 6 test sites in Kentucky, Montana, and North Carolina, showing differences among states and between urban and rural locations.
Author(s): Carmen Byker Shanks, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Alison Gustafson
Citation: Health Promotion Practice, 16(6), 859-866
Date: 11/2015
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Association Between Student Body Mass Index and Access to Sports Drinks in Minnesota Secondary Schools, 2012-2013
Results of a study showing the correlation between school policies allowing sports drinks and student body mass index. Features statistics such as percentages of schools offering sugar-sweetened beverages or salty snacks, number of overweight and obese students, and percentages of schools in city, suburb, or rural locations.
Author(s): Martha Y. Kubik, Cynthia Davey, Marilyn S. Nanney
Citation: Preventing Chronic Disease, 12
Date: 11/2015
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Dissemination of an Electronic Manual to Build Capacity for Implementing Farmers' Markets with Community Health Centers
Reports on the effectiveness of disseminating a manual about developing and sustaining a program from a rural community health center to help others learn from it. Evaluates respondent interest in and plans for using the manual. Addresses the benefits of collaborating with a university and how the farmers' market benefited the community's diet and economy.
Author(s): M. Aaron Guest, Darcy Freedman, Kassandra A. Alia, Heather M. Brandt, Daniela B. Friedman
Citation: Clinical and Translational Science, 8(5), 484-489
Date: 10/2015
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