Rural Hunger and Access to Healthy Food – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Hunger and Access to Healthy Food.
Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report
Provides information on the use of federal nutrition programs in the summer of 2023, when COVID-19 waivers ended and normal operations resumed. Includes national and state findings, policy opportunities, and information about the the rural non-congregate meal option.
Author(s): Kelsey Boone, Crystal FitzSimons
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Food Research & Action Center
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Provides information on the use of federal nutrition programs in the summer of 2023, when COVID-19 waivers ended and normal operations resumed. Includes national and state findings, policy opportunities, and information about the the rural non-congregate meal option.
Author(s): Kelsey Boone, Crystal FitzSimons
Date: 08/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Food Research & Action Center
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Tribal Food Security: Opportunities Exist to Address Challenges in Federal Nutrition Programs
Explores issues related to tribal food security and whether federal nutrition programs meet tribal communities' needs. Describes American Indian/Alaska Native food insecurity rates and the food security challenges of tribal communities. Examines the extent to which select federal nutrition programs address tribal communities' needs and tribes' roles in administering these programs. Offers recommendations to Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding the administration of the program and additional flexibilities to support tribes and states.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Explores issues related to tribal food security and whether federal nutrition programs meet tribal communities' needs. Describes American Indian/Alaska Native food insecurity rates and the food security challenges of tribal communities. Examines the extent to which select federal nutrition programs address tribal communities' needs and tribes' roles in administering these programs. Offers recommendations to Congress and the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding the administration of the program and additional flexibilities to support tribes and states.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Food as Medicine Survey Findings: How Anti-Hunger Organizations Partner With Health Care Providers to Address Food Insecurity
Analyzes how anti-hunger organizations are partnering with healthcare providers and facilities to promote food security and connect patients with federal food assistance programs. Utilizes 2023/2024 quantitative and qualitative survey data from 56 respondents and provides characteristics of the respondent's organization; types of healthcare facilities involved; food assistance programs to which patients are referred; screening and referral process; and demographics of people served, such as race/ethnicity, age group, special populations, and geographic location of urban, suburban, or rural. Includes a case study of the Montana Food Bank Network (MFBN) and their use of mobile food delivery to reach rural populations.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Food Research & Action Center
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Analyzes how anti-hunger organizations are partnering with healthcare providers and facilities to promote food security and connect patients with federal food assistance programs. Utilizes 2023/2024 quantitative and qualitative survey data from 56 respondents and provides characteristics of the respondent's organization; types of healthcare facilities involved; food assistance programs to which patients are referred; screening and referral process; and demographics of people served, such as race/ethnicity, age group, special populations, and geographic location of urban, suburban, or rural. Includes a case study of the Montana Food Bank Network (MFBN) and their use of mobile food delivery to reach rural populations.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Food Research & Action Center
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Urban–Rural Disparities in Food Insecurity and Weight Status Among Children in the United States
Analyzes urban versus rural place of residence and its association with childhood food insecurity and weight status. Utilizes 2013-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data and provides breakdowns of urban versus rural food insecurity by child's age and weight status, according to underweight/normal weight, overweight, and obese designations.
Author(s): Jayna M. Dave, Tzuan A. Chen, Alexandra N. Castro, et al.
Citation: Nutrients, 16(13), 2132
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Analyzes urban versus rural place of residence and its association with childhood food insecurity and weight status. Utilizes 2013-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data and provides breakdowns of urban versus rural food insecurity by child's age and weight status, according to underweight/normal weight, overweight, and obese designations.
Author(s): Jayna M. Dave, Tzuan A. Chen, Alexandra N. Castro, et al.
Citation: Nutrients, 16(13), 2132
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
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Summer Food for Children: An Overview of Federal Aid
Provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Highlights changes to the SFSP made in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, including the permanent authorization of the nationwide Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT) Program for Children, and allowing Seamless Summer Option (SSO) sponsors to provide meals for off-site consumption to children in rural areas without access to congregate meal sites.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Provides an overview of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Highlights changes to the SFSP made in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, including the permanent authorization of the nationwide Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (Summer EBT) Program for Children, and allowing Seamless Summer Option (SSO) sponsors to provide meals for off-site consumption to children in rural areas without access to congregate meal sites.
Date: 07/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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USDA Summer Food Program with Administrator for the Food and Nutrition Service, Cindy Long
Podcast episode featuring Cindy Long, Administrator for the the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). Discusses how the USDA FNS helps parents and caregivers raising families in rural and remote areas navigate nutrition assistance programs when school is out of session in the summer. Describes Summer Food Program eligibility and how to access program benefits.
Date: 06/2024
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: Impact! Communications, Inc.
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Podcast episode featuring Cindy Long, Administrator for the the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). Discusses how the USDA FNS helps parents and caregivers raising families in rural and remote areas navigate nutrition assistance programs when school is out of session in the summer. Describes Summer Food Program eligibility and how to access program benefits.
Date: 06/2024
Type: Audio
Sponsoring organization: Impact! Communications, Inc.
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Risk Factors for Poor Health Among U.S. Older Adults in Rural and Urban Areas: Injury, Food Insecurity, and Lack of Social and Emotional Support
Examines differences in select risk factors for poor health between rural and urban older adults and among rural older adults, with breakdowns by several sociodemographic characteristics. Features statistics including percentage of older adults experiencing risk factors for poor health, injury and significant injury, food insecurity, and lack of social and emotional support.
Author(s): Ingrid Jacobson, Alexis Swendener, Megan Lahr, Alyssa Fritz, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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Examines differences in select risk factors for poor health between rural and urban older adults and among rural older adults, with breakdowns by several sociodemographic characteristics. Features statistics including percentage of older adults experiencing risk factors for poor health, injury and significant injury, food insecurity, and lack of social and emotional support.
Author(s): Ingrid Jacobson, Alexis Swendener, Megan Lahr, Alyssa Fritz, Carrie Henning-Smith
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: University of Minnesota Rural Health Research Center
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A Sentiment and Keyword Analysis of College Food Pantry Stigma Among Users and Nonusers
Analyzes food pantry stigma among college students at a rural Appalachian university. Examines responses from an online survey that provides information on student food insecurity, demographic information, stigma associated with food pantry use, and more.
Author(s): Alisa T. Duong, Ayron E. Walker, Amanda R. Bossert, Matthew E. Arnold
Citation: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 11(2), 285-299
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
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Analyzes food pantry stigma among college students at a rural Appalachian university. Examines responses from an online survey that provides information on student food insecurity, demographic information, stigma associated with food pantry use, and more.
Author(s): Alisa T. Duong, Ayron E. Walker, Amanda R. Bossert, Matthew E. Arnold
Citation: Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 11(2), 285-299
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
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Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households: Fiscal Year 2022
Presents an overview of the SNAP Program eligibility requirements and benefit levels. Provides detailed tables showing comparisons in rural-urban areas. Coverage includes October 2021 through September 2022.
Additional links: Research Summary
Author(s): Mia Monkovic
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
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Presents an overview of the SNAP Program eligibility requirements and benefit levels. Provides detailed tables showing comparisons in rural-urban areas. Coverage includes October 2021 through September 2022.
Additional links: Research Summary
Author(s): Mia Monkovic
Date: 06/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: USDA Food and Nutrition Service
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Does SNAP Cover the Cost of a Meal in Your County?
Analyzes the ability of the the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to cover the price of a meal. Includes background information on the program as well as an interactive map that shows the cost of a moderately priced meal by county and the proportion of the cost covered by SNAP, county designation according to the rural-urban continuum code (RUCC), and SNAP benefit per meal versus total cost of meal according to select time periods between 2022-2023.
Additional links: Key Findings
Date: 05/2024
Type: Website
Sponsoring organizations: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Urban Institute
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Analyzes the ability of the the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to cover the price of a meal. Includes background information on the program as well as an interactive map that shows the cost of a moderately priced meal by county and the proportion of the cost covered by SNAP, county designation according to the rural-urban continuum code (RUCC), and SNAP benefit per meal versus total cost of meal according to select time periods between 2022-2023.
Additional links: Key Findings
Date: 05/2024
Type: Website
Sponsoring organizations: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Urban Institute
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Last Updated: 8/16/2024