Contextual Determinants of Food Security in Southern Hispanic and African-American Neighborhoods

Margaret E. Bentley
Soyna Jones
Janice Dodds
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

June 2003

Research Objective and Policy Relevance: The objective of this research project was to develop a conceptual framework of the relationship between community factors and household food insecurity from the perspective of residents of predominantly minority neighborhoods in the South. To effectively provide a safety net for families that are at risk of household food insecurity, a goal of USDA food assistance programs, more information is needed about the characteristics of communities that contribute to food insecurity.

Findings of Prior Research: USDA monitoring efforts have demonstrated that 10% of all households and 20% of minority households have consistently reported experiencing some level of food insecurity since the monitoring efforts began in 1995. Very little research has examined why African-American and Hispanic households report higher levels of food insecurity. Other research conducted by this research team has demonstrated that the accessibility of food varies by the level of residential racial segregation. Furthermore, a recent body of studies have also shown that access to a supermarket affects the consumption of fruits and vegetables in African-American neighborhoods, that proximity to a supermarket is associated with pregnant women's dietary quality and that the number of fast food restaurants in a neighborhoods is associated with obesity. Based on the monitoring data and these accessibility studies, we hypothesized that there may be a relationship between community food access and food insecurity in predominantly minority neighborhoods. We also suspected that other community-level factors may also be related to the higher prevalence of food insecurity in minority neighborhoods. We proposed to conduct a community-based participatory study in partnership with residents of predominantly minority neighborhoods to identify the most important community factors and their relationship to household food insecurity.

Methods: This study used two innovative methods to gain an "insider's perspective" of community factors related to food insecurity. First, all participants were asked to use cameras to identify and record the aspects of their communities that they thought were important in supporting their efforts to eat a healthful and adequate diet. Second, participants analyzed their data to identify the salient themes among their neighborhood research group. A total of 6 groups from 6 different predominantly minority neighborhoods in Durham, NC were recruited to participate in up to 3 different focus groups and photography sessions. 12 in-depth individual interviews were also completed with members of the neighborhood research groups to explore their personal experiences with food insecurity further.

Results: Participants in this study identified dietary quality as their primary food insecurity concern. They identified 5 different domains of dietary quality concerns, including taste, freshness, balance, variety and nutrient density. Hispanic participants also express concern about differences between adult and child dietary habits that were related to the greater acculturation of their children to "fast foods". Community factors identified as important in these neighborhoods were access to fast food restaurants and food stores, the school lunch and breakfast programs, other food assistance programs, such as WIC and food stamps and job opportunities.