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Duda E. Understanding Health-Related Motivations for Urban Food Self-Production in the Light of Semantic Fields Analysis. Nutrients 2024; 16:1533. [PMID: 38794771 PMCID: PMC11124436 DOI: 10.3390/nu16101533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
One of the contemporary challenges facing urban areas is the necessity to identify novel approaches to resident involvement in solution creation, with a particular focus on ensuring the best possible nutrition. By investigating the process of co-participation of city dwellers in a unique education project, this paper aims to gain a deeper understanding of the health-related motivations that underpin the decision of early adopters of the implemented technological innovations to join the social experiment. The qualitative study employed purposive sampling and in-depth interviews conducted in two waves, the first between October and November 2022 and the second between September 2023 and January 2024. The study comprised 42 participants drawn from two communities of residents in Łódź and Warsaw, Poland. Transcriptions of the interviews were carried out using semantic field analysis, employing a quantitative approach that counts the frequency of keyword occurrences. Three categories of semantic fields were identified: associations, oppositions, and actions toward the subject, including positive, neutral, and negative temperatures. The findings demonstrate that the health concerns of residents are a pivotal factor in their decision to participate in urban food self-production initiatives, given their limited access to nutritious and healthy vegetables. This is related to several factors, including restrictions related to urbanization and the displacement of local suppliers, lifestyle, and the fast pace of urban life. The dissemination of innovative solutions for growing food in urban environments could, therefore, facilitate awareness-raising and motivation to alter the dietary habits of inhabitants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Duda
- Institute of Education, Maria Grzegorzewska University, 02-353 Warsaw, Poland
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Onumah EE, Ketadzo B, Adaku AA, Onumah JA, Addey Owusu P. COVID-19 and its impact on the profit of mango value chain actors. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299572. [PMID: 38568889 PMCID: PMC10990191 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The unprecedented impact of the pandemic on both activities and profit of actors draws out the various areas of the value chain that need to be strengthened to ensure resilience in the face of global shock. This study fills the gap by assessing the extent at which COVID-19 impacted the profit of mango value chain actors in southern Ghana. It also analyzed the governance structure and the existing linkages in the dissemination of market information in relation to the profit of the actors. A two-year panel survey on 240 respondents was conducted in 2020 through a multi-stage sampling technique in Greater Accra, Eastern and Volta regions of Ghana. Net Farm Income, Social Network Analysis and Difference-in-Difference models were used in analyzing the data. Findings revealed that mango processors have more bargaining power and make the most profit while producers receive more information than other actors. Farmer-based organizations were found to be the prominent node and influential in the dissemination of market information within the value chain. The outbreak of COVID-19 negatively impacted the profit of mango producers and distributors; however, processors had a positive impact on their profit. The study therefore demonstrated that producers and distributors were vulnerable to the effect of the COVID-19 shock, whilst processors were robust to the shocks. Thus, reformed policies by all stakeholders for emergency preparedness should be targeted especially at those vulnerable actors in the chain. Additionally, FBOs, retailers and other key stakeholders should be considered in policy development to enhance market information dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Ebo Onumah
- Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, School of Agriculture, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Bright Ketadzo
- Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, School of Agriculture, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Abigail Ampomah Adaku
- Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, School of Agriculture, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Justina Adwoa Onumah
- Science and Technology Policy Research Institute, The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Cantonments, Ghana
| | - Prince Addey Owusu
- Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, School of Agriculture, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
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Niles MT, McCarthy AC, Malacarne J, Bliss S, Belarmino EH, Laurent J, Merrill SC, Nowak SA, Schattman RE. Home and wild food procurement were associated with improved food security during the COVID-19 pandemic in two rural US states. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2682. [PMID: 38302511 PMCID: PMC10834469 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52320-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Both food insecurity and home and wild food procurement (HWFP), including gardening, increased in many countries during the COVID-19 pandemic; yet little evidence has demonstrated what impact HWFP had on food security. Using data from a representative sample of nearly 1000 residents in the two most rural US states (Vermont and Maine) conducted via an online survey in Spring/Summer 2021, as well as matching techniques, we compare food security outcomes among households who did and did not participate in HWFP in the first year of the pandemic. Nearly 60% of respondents engaged in HWFP in some way during the first year of the pandemic, with food insecure households more likely to do HWFP. Furthermore, HWFP early in the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with improved food security in the 9-12 months later, though these improvements were primarily associated with newly, not chronically, food insecure households. Newly and chronically food insecure households were more likely to want to continue these activities in the future, but also exhibited greater barriers to land access and costs associated with these activities. These results suggest that HWFP may provide food security improvements for certain households that utilize them, especially during crisis situations. Future research about HWFP should continue to explore multiple HWFP strategies, their barriers, and their potentially myriad relationships to food security, diet, and health outcomes, especially with longitudinal data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith T Niles
- Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Vermont, 355 Carrigan Wing, 109 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA.
- Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.
| | - Ashley C McCarthy
- Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Vermont, 355 Carrigan Wing, 109 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
| | | | - Sam Bliss
- Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
- Rubenstein School of Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Emily H Belarmino
- Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Vermont, 355 Carrigan Wing, 109 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
- Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Jennifer Laurent
- Department of Nursing, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Scott C Merrill
- Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Sarah A Nowak
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
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Sooriyaarachchi P, Jayawardena R. Impact of the economic crisis on food consumption of Sri Lankans: An online cross-sectional survey. Diabetes Metab Syndr 2023; 17:102786. [PMID: 37269783 DOI: 10.1016/j.dsx.2023.102786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
AIMS This study investigated how the economic crisis has changed Sri Lankans' food consumption. METHODS A web-based cross-sectional survey was carried out in the month of July 2022, using an e-questionnaire based on Google Forms. The questionnaire assessed respondents' socio-demographics, food consumption, and dietary patterns before and during the economic crisis. The changes were compared using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. RESULTS A total of 1095 respondents, aged ≥18 years were included in the survey. There was a significant reduction in the average consumption of main meals per day during the economic crisis (pre: 3.09 ± 0.42, post: 2.82 ± 0.47; P < 0.001). The intake of food items such as rice, bread, and snacks also reduced significantly (P < 0.001). The average daily milk intake frequency decreased from 1.41 ± 1.07 to 0.57 ± 0.80 meals/day (P < 0.001). On contrary, the intake of non-dairy beverages such as malted milk and "plain tea" has increased by several folds. Consumption of fruit and vegetables showed a significant reduction in both frequency and portion size. The consumption of meat, fish, eggs and dhal also decreased in around three-quarters of the study sample. During this period majority (81%) used food coping mechanisms and the most adopted strategy was buying less expensive food. CONCLUSION Sri Lankans' food consumption have been adversely altered due to the country's economic crisis. There has been an overall reduction in the amount and frequency of intake of many common food items.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piumika Sooriyaarachchi
- Health and Wellness Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka; Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Faculty of Health, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ranil Jayawardena
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka; Nawaloka Hospital Research and Education Foundation, Nawaloka Hospitals PLC, Colombo, Sri Lanka.
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Monroe-Lord L, Harrison E, Ardakani A, Duan X, Spechler L, Jeffery TD, Jackson P. Changes in Food Consumption Trends among American Adults since the COVID-19 Pandemic. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15071769. [PMID: 37049609 PMCID: PMC10096875 DOI: 10.3390/nu15071769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The quality and quantity of food consumption have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we examined how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the consumption of different food groups in order to close the research gap by providing current evidence that reflects a later stage of the pandemic compared to other circulating research conducted at earlier stages. Data collection for this cross-sectional study was performed via an online Qualtrics survey from 10,050 adults aged 40-100 years. Nutritional status was measured using the 24-item short-form Dietary Screening Tool (DST) twice: before and since the COVID-19 pandemic. The DST questions were categorized based on MyPlate items, along with fat, sugar, and sweet items, as well as nutritional supplement intake. In addition, the total DST score was calculated for each participant, which categorized them into one of three groups: "at risk", "possible risk", and "not at risk". The results revealed that the consumption of grains, fruit, lean protein, and dairy decreased significantly, while the consumption of fat, sugar, and sweet items increased significantly due to COVID-19. The biggest decreases in consumption of food subcategories were related to whole grain bread and cereal, followed by fruit as a snack, in comparison with other types of grain and fruit. No changes in the consumption of vegetables, processed meat, or supplement intake were seen. The total DST score showed that, before and since COVID-19, the overall nutrition status of adult Americans has been at risk. In addition, of those participants who were not at risk before COVID-19, 28.5% were either at risk or at possible risk since COVID-19; moreover, of those participants who were at possible risk before COVID-19, 21% were at risk since COVID-19. As a good nutritional status can reduce the risk of severe illness or even mortality rate in times of crisis, the findings of this study can help policymakers and health educators to develop heath-protecting behavior sessions against future pandemics to manage crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lillie Monroe-Lord
- College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | | | - Azam Ardakani
- College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | - Xuejling Duan
- Data Analytics, McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster, MD 21157, USA
| | - Lily Spechler
- College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | - Tia D Jeffery
- College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC 20008, USA
| | - Phronie Jackson
- College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, DC 20008, USA
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