Food Studies Commons^™

High ‘Steaks’: Does Lone Star Tick-Induced Red Meat Allergy Reduce Cardiovascular Disease-Related Hospitalizations?, Raj Parekh

CMC Senior Theses

In this thesis, I investigate the relationships between Lone Star Tick-induced Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS), red meat consumption, and cardiovascular health outcomes within New York State's 62 counties from 2012 to 2021. The analysis examines whether AGS, which forces individuals to reduce red meat consumption, serves as a natural experiment in understanding dietary impacts on cardiovascular disease (CVD). Leveraging panel data, I utilize Fixed Effects (FE) and Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) regression frameworks to disentangle the relationships between red meat expenditure, meat prices, Lone Star Tick prevalence, and health outcomes such as CVD, stroke, coronary heart disease, and heart attack hospitalization …

From Fields To Fast Foods: Food Culture, Identity, And Health In Puerto Rico Under The U.S. Empire, Ivanna Morales Mercado

CMC Senior Theses

Operation Bootstrap, launched in 1947, fundamentally altered Puerto Rico’s economy, just as much as its food culture. Prioritizing manufacturing over agriculture led to the collapse of the island’s farming sector, increasing reliance on food imports and leading to a rise in diet-related diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular issues. This thesis examines the legacies of Operation Bootstrap on Puerto Rico’s food system, health outcomes, and cultural identity by emphasizing the need to value intergenerational knowledge. The oral history research in this study highlights the importance of intergenerational knowledge in reclaiming sustainable agricultural practices and healthy, culturally significant …

“Emergency Relief As Routine”: The Evolution Of Fsa’S Livestock Forage Disaster Program In An Era Of Persistent Drought, Shae L. Olsen

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This thesis examines the historical origins, current limitations, and future of the Farm Service Agency’s (FSA) Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP), the primary federal drought disaster relief program for ranchers in the United States. Drawing connections between the Dust Bowl-era Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) and LFP, I argue that the AAA, while innovative at the time, prioritized the maintenance of commodity markets over ecological resilience, disproportionately benefiting white, landowning producers. This trend is reflected in LFP today. Through a policy analysis and original qualitative research, including interviews with 23 FSA staff members in nine states, I examine how LFP operates …

Cultivating Community-University Partnerships Within The Chicago Region Food System, Hanan Abdillahi, Vivian Cossey, Tania Schusler, Kevin Erickson, Karen Schauwecker, Sarah Ku, Ray Dybzinski

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

We interviewed 22 organizations in the Chicago Regional Food System to gain insights on their current initiatives, assets, challenges, future visions, and perceived roles of universities in advancing their work. We analyzed themes to report on strong consensus or varied perspectives related to this work. This report aims to advise Loyola’s School of Environmental Sustainability's future work and collaboration activities with Chicago Food System organizations.

Fallow Fields Or Fertile Ground: Analysing Food Governance In A Changing World, Johanna L. Wilkes

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Our food systems are failing us. In particular, industrial food systems fail to deliver healthy, adequate food to billions of people (FAO et al. 2019; FAO et al. 2024) and have led to increased instances of mental health crises for farmers (Jones-Bitton 2019; Younker & Radunovich 2021). In addition, industrial food systems contribute to the devastating impacts of a warming climate (IPCC 2021), biodiversity loss (WWF 2021), and soil erosion (Wise 2019; Badreldin and Lobb 2023) worldwide. Yet, little structural change has occurred in the way agriculture is governed and the problems created by industrial agriculture are becoming increasingly entrenched. …

Operationalizing Intersectionality Analysis For Urban Agriculture In Quito, Ecuador, Laine N. Young

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This thesis outlines the results of a case study in Quito, Ecuador with the municipally led participatory urban agriculture project, AGRUPAR, an internationally recognized project that promotes women’s empowerment, traditional knowledge, agroecology, and livelihoods. It works to improve the lives of those experiencing high levels of poverty in Quito. This dissertation applies an intersectional analysis to urban agriculture research to enhance attention to power relations, social justice, and equity within its scholarly and practical realms. Intersectionality is an understanding that people have unique experiences of oppression based on their unique social location (what intersecting social categories they belong to) and …

Integrating Indigenous Values And Community Strengths To Achieve Indigenous Food Sovereignty And Community Well-Being In The Ka’A’Gee Tu First Nation, Northwest Territories, Jennifer K. Temmer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Northern Indigenous communities face disproportionate impacts from interconnected challenges related to climate change, food security, health, and cultural preservation, that threaten traditional food systems and practices. While there is a growing recognition of the importance of community-driven solutions, existing frameworks fail to integrate Indigenous values and local priorities effectively. This research addresses this gap by exploring how the Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation (KTFN) is responding to these crises through climate change adaptation efforts focused on food system sustainability as a pathway to self-sufficiency and community well-being. To contribute to these efforts, this dissertation uses Participatory Action Research to facilitate community-driven …

An Unexpected Outcome Of An Ischemic Stroke On The Reward Pathways In The Human Brain, Karen Valadez-Cuen, Erica Kozorosky, Ferina Farahnik, Oscar Garcia

HCA Healthcare Journal of Medicine

Background

Addiction affects millions of people, often resulting from a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors, and is frequently linked to mental health disorders. Many experts agree there is no cure for addiction, but there are effective treatments available. Many patients continue to succumb to addiction despite treatment. Therefore, more research is needed to develop new therapies in addiction medicine.

Case Presentation

This is the case of a 63-year-old woman with an extensive smoking history who suffered an acute stroke affecting her left-sided basal ganglia, including the caudate nucleus and nucleus accumbens. The patient presented with bilateral strokes to …

Health Literacy Of Unhealthy Diet Consumption In Thailand, Sitaporn Suriya, Buraskorn Torut

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: The burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is increasing worldwide, including in Thailand. One risk factor for NCDs is an unhealthy diet. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the factors affecting the consumption of an unhealthy diet and determine the proactive policies that support factors inhibiting an unhealthy diet.

Methods: We investigated the factors affecting unhealthy diet consumption behavior by multiple linear regression analysis by surveying 970 Thai patients with early-stage NCD. In addition, we investigated appropriate policy proposals by conducting in-depth interviews with 20 key informants.

Results: Knowledge (−0.247, 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.285 to −0.210), …

Evaluating The Impact Of A Novel Program To Address Acute Food Insecurity Among Cancer Patients, Elliott M. Sina, Michael Rowe, Gina Mancuso, Gregory Garber, W. Kevin Kelly, Amy E. Leader

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Acute food insecurity (FI) significantly impacts cancer patients' health, exacerbating physical and psychological burdens. While current interventions address chronic FI, acute cases remain undermanaged. Legacy of Hope, a Philadelphia-based non-profit, addresses this gap through its Emergency Patient Support Network (EPSN), offering free bi-weekly groceries to patients facing acute FI.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The pilot study evaluated EPSN's impact utilizing the Legacy of Hope Acute Food Insecurity (LOHAFI) survey, which was performed at baseline and two weeks post-intervention. The survey combines the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G7) and questions on food and financial security. Mean scores and frequencies were …

The Effort To Promote Lichens For Human Consumption In Nineteenth-Century Europe, Michael E. Mitchell

European Journal of Food Drink and Society

In 1683 a lichen long relied in Iceland as a grain substitute was detected in Sweden, where chemical analysis revealed an appreciable nutritive content. Use of the lichen as food in Lapland was reported in the following century, but its composition was not again studied until the Spanish famine of 1805/6. The results of that investigation amply demonstrated the species’ potential as an emergency food, which led to lichens being recommended for domestic use and commercial bread production during successive European famines. Amateur attempts in France and Germany to distil alcohol from lichens proved uneconomic, a problem temporarily solved when …

Pursuing Distinction: How Chinese Restaurants Leverage Cultural Capital To Ascend The Irish Culinary Hierarchy, Nan Xiang, Brian Murphy

European Journal of Food Drink and Society

Ethnic cuisine is typically positioned at the lower end of Western culinary hierarchy, in contrast to haute cuisine. Research to date has shown that in more recent decades, many ethnic restaurants in London and New York, including those specializing in Chinese cuisine, have successfully managed to transition into the previously unattainable high-end category. What is problematic, however, is the contrast between ethnic and haute cuisine, with ethnic as a restaurant category often being presented as lacking refinement and exuding an overriding sense of cheapness. Neither unrefined nor cheap, many ethnic restaurants, though not quite reaching the high-end, have gained significant …

Feeding Jersey: A Fresh Look At Food In The Garden State, Zachary E. Zawila

Capstones

New Jersey is the Garden State. The food business is in its nature. But how the state's foodways work, and particularly how they shape the cities of North Jersey, brings vitality to some neighborhoods while leaving others behind. The cities of Orange, Elizabeth, and Paterson have especially interesting food pasts, and particularly promising food futures.

https://sites.google.com/view/feeding-jersey/home

Food Security And Its Impact On Hypertension In Urban Communities, Lauren M. Nobriga

Master's Projects and Capstones

The Quality Improvement Team proposed an intervention to increase enrollment in the Food Security Program, a six-month initiative that provides vouchers redeemable for fruits and vegetables. Long-term impacts of this Program include an improved food economy and enhanced patient disease management autonomy. This project aimed to increase the percentage of eligible adult medicine clinic patients enrolled in the Food Security Program by 25%, or 11 patients per month, based on the mean enrollment for the first four months of the Program (May to August) of nine patients. The intervention was based on bi-monthly performance reports, making the goal include enrolling …

On Food And Restaurants, Liya Cui

Capstones

This portfolio contains a collection of stories about New York City restaurants and broader food culture, including reported features, a profile and criticism. Food is literally inescapable; even if you believe you don’t care about what you eat, every bite is a choice. This subject deserves critical thought and exploration as it influences our lives in myriad ways and reveals cultural trends that can tell us so much about who we are right now.

https://medium.com/@LiyaC/capstone-portfolio-on-food-and-restaurants-bc4c18c7f2a9

Food Deserts, Socioeconomic Status, And Health In The City Of Detroit, Nolan Booth

Rushton Journal of Undergraduate Humanities Research

While many attribute health disparities in Detroit residents to the phenomenon of food deserts, this essay takes a closer look at such a seemingly obvious explanation and critically examines the concept of food deserts. This essay argues that the commonly held definition of food desert is inadequate for describing the complexities of a setting such as Detroit, and the true cause of the health disparities between the city and surrounding suburbs can be attributed to the lower socioeconomic status of the average Detroit resident, itself a product of racist housing policies and segregationist laws.

Analyzing Food Security Trends Amidst Environmental Challenges: A Convergence Perspective, Faisal Azeem Abbassi, Muhammad Jamil

CBER Conference

This study aims to test the existence of convergence in global food security from 2012 to 2022. It contributes to the existing literature by connecting two empirical findings: first, income per capita is a significant determinant of countries’ state of food security, and second, the neoclassical growth model predicts income per capita to converge over time. These findings suggest the possibility of convergence in global food security. This study employs Phillips and Sul’s (2007) club convergence methodology on the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) 2022 model, developed by Economist Impact for 113 countries. Results indicate an absence of global convergence …

No. 32: Narratives Of Food Consumption And Food Insecurity: Zimbabwean Migrants In Windhoek, Namibia, Godfrey Tawodzera

Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) Network

Decades of interlocking economic and political crisis have generated significant out-migration from Zimbabwe to other countries. Neighbouring countries with relative political stability and better livelihood opportunities, such as Namibia, have witnessed increased inflows of Zimbabweans. While there are studies documenting these movements, far less attention has been paid to the food security of Zimbabwean migrants in other countries. This paper investigates the changing dietary and food consumption patterns of recent Zimbabwean migrants in Windhoek, Namibia, and the impacts of these changes on household food security. The narratives of 35 Zimbabwean migrant households in Windhoek show that they face numerous food …

No. 31: Precarity, Food Insecurity, And Migration: The Kerala-Gulf Nexus And Women Domestic Workers, Anand Panamthottam Cherian

Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) Network

Low-skilled Malayali women migrants employed as domestic laborers in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)1 countries navigate a transnational labor system that entrenches gendered hierarchies and structural inequalities. Ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Kerala and the United Arab Emirates utilizing biographical methods such as life history and oral history reveals that migration, often envisioned as a pathway to economic security, intensifies vulnerabilities through layers of exclusion, exploitation, and deprivation. These women’s lived experiences underscore the precarious conditions that define their labor trajectories, shaped by systemic governance failures and socio-cultural dynamics.

Food security, positioned at the nexus of material survival and symbolic significance, emerges …

Breaking The Yoke: A Systematic Unmasking Of Challenges To Sustainable Rural Development In South Sudan, Gai Chol Paul

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

South Sudan, a young nation grappling with the legacy of protracted conflict, faces significant challenges in fostering sustainable rural development. While the immense potential of its vast agricultural lands remains largely untapped, the persistent triple threat of insecurity, deficient infrastructure, and the absence of robust government policy actively hinders progress. The ongoing armed conflict, characterized by inter-communal violence and sporadic attacks, casts a long shadow over rural areas in South Sudan. Thus, I developed this mixed-method multiple-case study, grounded in the sustainable livelihoods framework, to explore challenges that hinder sustainable rural development in South Sudan. I collected data through document …

Influences Of Social Media On Nutrition Perceptions And Body Image Among Female College Students: A Study Of Health Impacts And Behavioral Responses, Kerri Mcclanahan

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Social media use is increasing among young adults with an average use of over four hours per day. The validity of dietary content on social media is questionable and can cause impacts on several factors. This research focused on exploring how female college students' social media use impacts their nutrition knowledge, diet choices, and body image. Through the use of a survey, 332 participants completed this research. It was found that social media can cause changes in body image, both positive and negative. Additionally, the results showed that social media impacted the participants’ dietary decisions. It was also found that …

To Bee Or Not To Bee: The Influence Of Jollibee On The Identity Formation Of Young-Adults In The Filipino U.S Diaspora, Riana Cherie Dela Cruz De Veas

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This research examines the role of Jollibee, a Filipino fast-food chain restaurant, as a vehicle of encouraging identity formation for young-adult Filipinos within the U.S Diaspora. Members of the Filipino diaspora—whichever foreign country it is located in—often face difficulties in exploring Filipino culture without the knowledge of any dialect within the Filipino language, access to Filipino social circles due to geographical placements, and feelings of pressure to assimilate into a mainstream, foreign culture. Existing research on how diasporic Filipinos develop their ethnic identity through various cultural channels remains limited, even as Filipino cultural icons like Jollibee have become increasingly more …

Analyzing Food Sources And Food Insecurity Of Kichwa Farming Families In The Ecuadorian Amazon, Reina Watanabe

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

While the right to food is internationally recognized and the United Nations established the sustainable development goal to end hunger and achieve food security by 2030, many households remain without consistent access to food in 2024. In Latin America, approximately 4 in 10 households were reported as food insecure in 2020 with higher rates in rural and indigenous communities. Rural areas, which have great overlap with indigenous communities in Ecuador, experience disproportionately high levels of poverty and food insecurity compared to urban areas. The most populous indigenous nationality in the Ecuadorian Amazon and the participants of this study are the …

Obesity: Influencing Behavioral Consumption Through Meal Kit Distribution, Alejandro Hernandez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Founded in 2002, Everyone’s Harvest is a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to providing access to healthy, affordable fruits and vegetables through certified farmers markets and community food programs. Its key initiatives—Fresh Rx, Market Match, Edible Education and Farms Together —focus on alleviating nutrition insecurity and combating diet-related health conditions by providing vulnerable populations the resources to purchase, or receive, fresh produce and gain nutritional knowledge. This study explores a new intervention: the distribution of farmers' market meal kits as a complementary strategy to the current Edible Education program. These meal kits, which feature seasonally available produce and pre-measured ingredients, aim to …

Victory Gardens: Helping On The Home Front, A Curriculum Outreach Project, Kelly Hoomes

Master's Theses

The Victory Garden: Helping on the Homefront traveling trunk outreach project links past, present, and future by introducing students to the historical significance of World War II victory gardens and emphasizing the continued relevance today. Partnering with Kennesaw State University’s Museum of History and Holocaust Education (MHHE), the traveling trunk focuses on a fifth-grade audience, aligning with Georgia Standards of Excellence for Social Studies, Health, and Science. The traveling trunk designed as a “museum-in-a-box" includes primary sources, artifacts, and a practical gardening activity that fosters critical thinking and analysis. By encouraging an understanding of the past and the connections to …

The Meatpacking Industry Needs Stronger Worker Protections And Enhanced Oversight, India Luxton, Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern

Center for Policy Research

Meatpacking plants are hazardous workplaces with high injury rates and poor working conditions, negatively impacting the health of the industry’s predominately immigrant and refugee workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic illuminated ongoing concerns in the industry, including the problems associated with consolidation and concentration, worker safety, and poor public health outcomes. This brief summarizes findings from a study that used data from 39 interviews with local, state, and federal officials and bureaucrats, worker advocates, and workers to analyze meatpacking policymaking and oversight during COVID-19. The authors find that a lack of industry oversight and decreased regulation contribute to unsafe environments, and injustices …

The Ongoing Manipulation Game Of The Culinary World, Evelyn Graham

Undergraduate Scholarly Works

Consumers are rarely aware of how much work actually goes into the enjoyment of their food. It is common knowledge that restaurant owners put a lot of work into their art, we can see this in the food they put forth, but so much is missed behind the scenes in the manipulation of the consumers' senses. Flavor perception is often confused for the simplicity of taste, however, I argue flavor perception is a complex construct of multisensory interactions, intentionally placed to influence consumers' purchasing behaviors. The combination of sights, scents, textures, sounds, and tastes work together to create the brain's …

Are College Students' Grocery Shopping Habits Consistent With The Mediterranean Diet Guidelines? A Preliminary Report, Montana Grace Ayala

Master's Theses

The number of people diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes mellitus continues to grow. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to reduce the risks of developing heart disease. Fruit and vegetable consumption is low across the country. Improving fruit and vegetable consumption for adults might start with improving intake earlier in life because it can influence better food habits. Following the Mediterranean diet at a young age can prevent chronic diseases from developing. It is well known that college students have diets that are not consistent with healthy eating habits and can be influenced by the need for …

Virtual Culinary Nutrition Education: Youth And Parent/Guardian Acceptability Of The Switch Cooking School, Summer Mcvicker, Laura Paulsen, Anna Mlodzik, Allison Henry, Maren Wolff

Journal of Extension

Face-to-face cooking programs can positively impact food choices, fruit and vegetable intake, and cooking self-efficacy; however, little is known about virtual cooking programs. We studied the perceived acceptability of the virtual SWITCH Cooking School (SCS). Four monthly cooking classes were offered for each participating school. Classes included nutrition education, food safety, and cooking demonstrations. Feedback was collected through post-class surveys and focus groups with parent/guardian and youth participants. Families valued the convenience of the virtual delivery and were interested in participating again. Future considerations for the SCS include incorporating additional variety of culinary skills and modifying registration methods.

Beyond Direct Education And Facilitation: Revisiting The Role Of Extension In Community & Regional Food Systems Development, Catie M. Demets, Lindsey Day Farnsworth

Journal of Extension

The fundamental issues that community and regional food systems aim to address are inherently systems problems, yet many Extension programs continue to focus food system development efforts on activities and actors that directly support the food value chain. While important, the impact of these interventions is limited. Drawing from interviews with directors of four of the nation’s leading Community and Regional Food Systems Extension programs, this article makes a case for rethinking Extension’s role in community and regional food systems development in relationship to key leverage points through a typology of Extension roles and corresponding examples.