Full-Service Twin Cities Mobile Market Impact: Qualitative Findings From Focus Groups With Customers

Local Food System Approaches to Address Food and Nutrition Security among Low-Income Populations: A Systematic Review

Food and nutrition insecurity disproportionately impact low-income households in the United States, contributing to higher rates of chronic diseases among this population. Addressing this challenge is complex because of various factors affecting the availability and accessibility of nutritious food. Short value chain (SVC) models, informally known as local food systems, offer a systemic approach that aims to optimize resources and align values throughout and beyond the food supply chain. Although specific SVC interventions, such as farmers markets, have been studied individually, a comprehensive review of SVC models was pursued to evaluate their relative impact on food security, fruit and vegetable intake, diet quality, health-related markers, and barriers and facilitators to participation among low-income households. Our systematic literature search identified 37 articles representing 34 studies from 2000-2020. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method studies revealed that farmers market interventions had been evaluated more extensively than other SVC models (i.e., produce prescription programs, community-supported agriculture, mobile markets, food hubs, farm stands, and farm-to-school). Fruit and vegetable intake was the most measured outcome; other outcomes were less explored or not measured at all. Qualitative insights highlighted common barriers to SVC use, such as lack of program awareness, limited accessibility, and cultural incongruence, whereas facilitators included health-promoting environments, community cohesion, financial incentives, and high-quality produce. Social marketing and dynamic nutrition education appeared to yield positive program outcomes. Financial incentives were used in many studies, warranting further investigation into optimal amounts across varying environmental contexts. SVC models are increasingly germane to national goals across the agriculture, social, and health care sectors. This review advances the understanding of key knowledge gaps related to their implementation and impact; it emphasizes the need for research to analyze SVC potential comprehensively across the rural-urban continuum and among diverse communities through long-term studies of measurable health impact and mixed-method studies investigating implementation best practices. This trial was registered at PROSPERO as CRD42020206532.

Differences in mobile food market customer outcomes between 2019 and 2021

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the outcomes of increasing mobile market service from mostly biweekly in 2019 to weekly in 2021.

DESIGN

Repeated, cross-sectional customer intercept surveys.

SAMPLE

Mobile market customers in Summers 2019 (N = 302) and 2021 (N = 72).

INTERVENTION

Mobile food markets bring affordable, high-quality foods to communities that lack such access.

MEASURES/ANALYSIS

Outcomes included food security, fruit/vegetable intake, and food-related characteristics and behaviors. General linear and logistic regression models were used to assess associations between outcomes and survey year and length of mobile market shopping. Models were adjusted for economic assistance use, race, and ethnicity.

RESULTS

No outcomes were significantly different between 2019 (with mostly biweekly service) and 2021 (with weekly service). Length of mobile market shopping (e.g., >2 years, 1-2 years, etc.) was positively associated with affordable, quality food access (β = 0.20, SE = 0.10, p = .03) and fruit/vegetable intake (β = 0.28, SE = 0.08, p < .001) as well as lower odds of food insecurity in the last 12 months (aOR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.64, 0.99).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite COVID-19 interrupting scheduled market service, the length of time that a survey respondent identified as a full-service mobile market customer was associated with higher food access and fruit/vegetable intake and reduced food insecurity odds. These findings suggest promise and encourage further evaluation.

Use of Mobile Grocery Shopping Application: Motivation and Decision-Making Process among South Korean Consumers

With the revitalization of the online grocery trading market, many consumers are using mobile applications to purchase groceries. Although past studies were conducted on online grocery purchases, few measured mobile app users in a conceptual model that combines both motivational needs and behavioral components. Grounded in the uses and gratifications theory and the theory of planned behavior, this study investigated utilitarian motives, hedonic motives, experiential motives, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, purchase intention, and purchase behavior among mobile grocery app users in South Korea. As an additional analysis, a comparison between users and non-users of mobile grocery apps was implemented. The results showed that the utilitarian motives of grocery app users significantly influenced attitudes, attitudes and subjective norms influenced user intention, and user intention influenced grocery purchase behavior. Users showed statistically higher utilitarian motives, hedonic motives, and attitudes than non-users. The results suggest that South Korean consumers hold positive attitudes toward mobile grocery shopping and that the opinions of others may influence the decision to use the services. Mobile groceries in South Korea may have the potential for continued growth if individuals’ perceived control of the service improves. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Food insecurity, food-related characteristics and behaviors, and fruit and vegetable intake in mobile market customers

Mobile markets (MM) bring affordable, quality, healthy foods to high-need, low-food access communities. However, little is known about food insecurity of MM customers. This manuscript evaluates food insecurity prevalence in MM customers and assesses associations between food insecurity and MM use, food-related characteristics and behaviors, and fruit and vegetable (FV) intake. Customers (N = 302) completed cross-sectional surveys in summer 2019 that assessed: food security, food availability, cooking attitude, self-efficacy for healthy cooking, self-efficacy for cooking and eating FV, social connectedness, and FV intake. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were used to describe and assess associations with food insecurity and FV intake. Results show most MM customers were food insecure (85%). In logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, long-term MM use (OR = 0.77, CI = 0.60-0.997), access to affordable, quality foods (OR = 0.81, CI = 0.71-0.93), and self-efficacy for both cooking healthy foods (OR = 0.88, CI = 0.80-0.97) and cooking and eating FV (OR = 0.90, CI = 0.82-0.98) were associated with lower odds of food insecurity; negative cooking attitudes (OR = 1.12, CI = 1.02-1.24) were associated with higher odds of food insecurity. Being food insecure (β = -1.37, SE=0.43, p < 0.01) was associated with poorer FV intake; this association attenuated slightly (β = -1.22, SE=0.43, p < 0.01) when length of MM use was added to the general linear model, which was also associated with higher fruit and vegetable intake (β = 0.26, SE=0.10, p = 0.01). Results suggest the MM reaches customers experiencing high levels of food insecurity and long-term MM use is associated with lower food insecurity and higher FV intake. Relationships between food insecurity and several food characteristics/behaviors provide insight for potential targets for wrap-around interventions to address food insecurity among customers. Findings suggest longitudinal evaluation of the MM's impact on food security and other food-related characteristics/behaviors is warranted.

Recognition and the development potential of mobile shopping of customized cosmetic on untact coronavirus disease 2019 period: Focused on 40's to 60's women in Seoul, Republic of Korea

BACKGROUND

Our research results will be helpful in the development of the K-beauty customized cosmetics industry as well as consumers who are having difficulty in purchasing cosmetics due to the rapid transition to a non-face-to-face society due to COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES

This paper attempted to investigate the recognition and development potential of customized cosmetics, focusing on mobile shopping in the era of COVID-19 untact period.

METHODS

The women included in the study consumer Seoul residence in the mobile shopping experience 40-60 targets for women 380 were the people. Statistical processing of data collected by the data analysis method is analyzed using the SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science) WIN25.0 statistical package program through the process of data coding and data cleaning.

RESULTS

As the untact era enters, the frequency of using non-face-to-face mobile shopping for customized cosmetics is increasing, and it is believed to be deeply related to the level of interest in skin and recognition of customized cosmetics, such as the use of hands-on apps that incorporate new technologies of the 4th industrial revolution. Looking at the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin to confirm the normality and validity of the population proved its validity. January 2020 (after COVID-19 spread), the use of mobile shopping was increased. In the future, it was significantly higher to continue shopping for cosmetics using mobile devices p < 0.001.

CONCLUSION

The present study focused on the recognition and development potential of customized cosmetics on mobile shopping in the era of COVID-19 untact period. Our results suggested that the possibility of developing customized cosmetics through mobile shopping in the untact era after COVID-19 will be endless, and it is believed that various marketing strategies will be supported in the future.