Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Losses, Gains, And Changes To The Food Environment In A Rural Kentucky County During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Makenzie L. Barr, Courtney Martin, Courtney T. Luecking, Kathryn M. Cardarelli

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused alterations to be made in the way many people access, prepare, and consume food. Rural communities are particularly impacted due to pre-existing structural vulnerabilities, i.e., poverty, lack of infrastructure, and limited fresh food options. This study aimed to characterize experiences of one rural Appalachian community’s changes to the food environment during the pandemic. In April 2021, six focus groups were conducted with residents of Laurel County, Kentucky. Using grounded theory, we identified losses, gains, and overall changes to the community food environment since the onset of COVID-19. Seventeen Laurel Countians (17 female; ages 30–74) participated …

Community-Based Efforts Aim To Improve The Food Environment Within A Highly Obese Rural Appalachian County, Rachel Gillespie, Emily M. Dewitt, Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Brynnan Dunaway, Alison A. Gustafson

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Rural communities in Appalachia are displaying increased obesity prevalence, yet traditional interventions have not provided a broad enough impact to improve dietary consumption patterns. Therefore, expanding efforts that address the food environment and incorporate behavioral nudges through community-developed marketing strategies may be a viable mechanism to improve food and beverage choices within this unique population. This study installed shelf-wobblers across n = 5 gas stations in one rural Appalachian county in Kentucky. Smart Snacks were identified from store inventory lists utilizing the CDC Food Service Guideline for Federal Facilities calculator and were categorized into high-protein snacks, low-fat carbohydrate snacks, meal …

Alternative Community Nutrition Experiential Learning Opportunities For Dietetic Interns During Covid-19, Courtney T. Luecking, Elizabeth Combs, Heather Norman-Burgdolf

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, collaboration among faculty in the Department of Dietetics and Human Nutrition at the University of Kentucky yielded two, four-week virtual experiential learning opportunities with Cooperative Extension for 19 dietetic interns. Remote experiences focused on development of new programming regarding the role of nutrition in the prevention/management of the most prevalent chronic diseases affecting Kentuckians and translating an existing social marketing program that promotes quality family time through preparation of nutritious, affordable home-cooked meals. Weekly assignments took ~10 hours, included individual and groupwork, and came together to create program packages encompassing commonly used products (e.g., …

“We’Re, Like, The Most Unhealthy People In The Country”: Employing An Equity Lens To Reduce Barriers To Healthy Food Access In Rural Appalachia, Kathryn Cardarelli, Emily M. Dewitt, Rachel Gillespie, Heather Norman-Burgdolf, Natalie Jones, Janet Tietyen Mullins

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Introduction

Obesity disproportionately affects rural communities, and Appalachia has some of the highest obesity rates in the nation. Successful policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) interventions to reduce obesity must reflect the circumstances of the population. We used a health equity lens to identify barriers and facilitators for healthy food access in Martin County, Kentucky, to design interventions responsive to social, cultural, and historical contexts.

Methods

We conducted 5 focus groups in Martin County, Kentucky, in fall 2019 to obtain perspectives on the local food system and gauge acceptability of PSE interventions. We used grounded theory to identify perceived barriers and …

A Community-Based Marketing Campaign At Farmers Markets To Encourage Fruit And Vegetable Purchases In Rural Counties With High Rates Of Obesity, Kentucky, 2015-2016, Emily M. Dewitt, Margaret Louise Mcgladrey, Emily Liu, Nicole Rachael Peritore, Kelly H. Webber, Brooke F. Butterworth, Ann Vail, Alison A. Gustafson

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Availability of farmers markets may increase fruit and vegetable consumption among rural residents of the United States. We conducted a community-based marketing campaign, Plate it Up Kentucky Proud (PIUKP), in 6 rural communities over 2 years to determine the association between exposure to the campaign and fruit and vegetable purchases, adjusted for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipient status. Logistic regression was used to examine the odds of the PIUKP campaign influencing purchases. Awareness of the PIUKP marketing campaign was significantly associated with a willingness to prepare fruits and vegetables at home. Using marketing strategies at farmers markets may be an …

Food Venue Choice, Consumer Food Environment, But Not Food Venue Availability Within Daily Travel Patterns Are Associated With Dietary Intake Among Adults, Lexington Kentucky 2011, Alison A. Gustafson, Jay W. Christian, Sarah Lewis, Kate Moore, Stephanie Jilcott

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

OBJECTIVE: The retail food environment may be one important determinant of dietary intake. However, limited research focuses on individuals' food shopping behavior and activity within the retail food environment. This study's aims were to determine the association between six various dietary indicators and 1) food venue availability; 2) food venue choice and frequency; and 3) availability of healthy food within food venue.

METHODS: In Fall, 2011, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults (n=121) age 18 years and over in Lexington, Kentucky. Participants wore a global position system (GPS) data logger for 3-days (2 weekdays and 1 weekend day) to …

Validation Of Food Store Environment Secondary Data Source And The Role Of Neighborhood Deprivation In Appalachia, Kentucky, Alison A. Gustafson, Sarah Lewis, Corey Wilson, Stephanie Jilcott-Pitts

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Based on the need for better measurement of the retail food environment in rural settings and to examine how deprivation may be unique in rural settings, the aims of this study were: 1) to validate one commercially available data source with direct field observations of food retailers; and 2) to examine the association between modified neighborhood deprivation and the modified retail food environment score (mRFEI).

METHODS: Secondary data were obtained from a commercial database, InfoUSA in 2011, on all retail food outlets for each census tract. In 2011, direct observation identifying all listed food retailers was conducted in 14 …