Browsing by Subject "food access"

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    Food insecurity in Indiana (2024)
    (Center for Research on Inclusion and Social Policy, 2024-10-04) Eckert, Marissa; Rapolu, Sreemayi; Gomez, Cecilia; Mullin, Hannah; Bow, Brendan; Schultz, Kristi; Menard, Claire; Van Allen, Elizabeth J.; Vargas, Emanuel
    Food insecurity is a public health concern affecting Hoosiers’ well-being and their ability to contribute effectively to their work and society. In 2022, more than 950,000 Hoosiers struggled to access nutritious food, often due to a lack of adequate or stable income. Food insecurity leads to hunger, malnutrition, and increased risks for chronic diseases. Socially, food insecurity reduces people’s cognitive ability by making it more difficult to concentrate and work effectively. Legislation strengthening funding for the availability of and access to fresh food and assistance programs are positive ways to address food insecurity in Indiana.
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    Parent/caregiver’s role in nutrition, physical activity, and food access among children diagnosed with spina bifida
    (IOS, 2023) Whelan, JoAnne L.; Armstrong, Cheryl L. H.; Schroyer, Rebecca; O'Neil, Joseph; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    PURPOSE: This pilot study aimed to determine the parent/caregiver’s role in nutrition/eating habits, physical activity behaviors, and food access among children diagnosed with spina bifida (SB). METHODS: Parents/caregivers of children with SB were asked to participate at a single, outpatient SB clinic. Demographic, biomedical data, parent/caregiver nutrition knowledge, family nutrition and physical activity (FNPA), and food security survey scores were compared. Descriptive, regression, and correlational statistics were conducted for analysis via SPSS 29. RESULTS: Of the 117 parents/caregivers surveyed, completed data suggested most were overweight/obese (average body mass index [BMI] of 30.63 kg/m2±8.40; n = 99) with an average nutrition knowledge score of 71% (17.83±3.33). As FNPA scores decreased, the patient/child’s maximum BMI z scores increased (β= –0.043; confidence interval –0.079, –0.007; p = 0.020), suggesting the less active and/or less healthy eating habits, the higher body mass was noted for the child. Forty four percent of children (n = 99) were in the overweight/obese weight range based on maximum BMI z score. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest there is a need for parental/caregiver nutrition education to assist children with SB with meal and activity planning to achieve optimal health.