Health Impacts
Promoting Food Access and Food Equity: Initiatives to Promote a Healthy Food Environment on a University Campus
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Andrea M. Brace, Patricia Watson, Todd Matthews, Stephanie Easterday, Nicole Libbey, Christina Olstad
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that 12.3% of Americans experienced food insecurity in 2016. College students are affected by food insecurity at higher rates than the general population. College students who are more likely to experience food insecurity include students eligible for federal grants, students who work part time jobs, non-White students, and international students. Food insecure students are more likely to struggle academically, and rate their overall health lower than students who are food secure. At Towson University, a mid-sized public university in Maryland, approximately 23% of students are food insecure. To promote food access on campus, multiple programs were established to link students with resources to reduce food insecurity. Ten programs are working to improve the food environment by university administration, faculty, staff and students. Example programs include a food bank, university farm, food recovery programs, and financial support, among others. The purpose of this research is to present a case study of the efforts to promote food access and food equity on the university campus. The objectives are to describe the current programs, examine existing collaborations, and identify gaps in resources. The outcomes include developing protocols to strengthen collaborations and fill the gaps through community organization; and policy, systems and structural changes within the university setting, all with the aim of increasing access to healthy food on a college campus.
The Impacts of Urban Agriculture on the Determinants of Health
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Pierre Paul Audate
Until recently, urban planners have paid very little attention to food systems. But in recent years, there has been an increasing interest in urban agriculture (UA) practice and research in the fields of urban planning and public health. In the global North as well as in the global South, researchers are interested in the environmental, social and health impacts of practices associated with agriculture or cultivation of plants in urban areas. However, these investigations present a great variety of results on the impacts of UA on the determinants of health. We present the results of a systematic literature review to describe all reported potential UA impacts on health outcomes and identify gaps to guide future UA research. Our search strategy identified 101 studies with a variety of methods (quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods). Among them, 38% and 37% reported findings from North America and Sub-Saharan Africa respectively. Quantitative studies have found positive effects of UA on food security, nutrition, social capital, physical and mental health outcomes. Qualitative studies revealed a set of perceived benefits and motivations for UA, including: contribution to social capital, food security, health and/or well-being. Lastly, it appears that research that pays particular attention to the contamination of urban soils would improve the existing literature on the potential adverse impacts of UA on health.
Food and Its Impact on the Development and Treatment of Chronic Diseases
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Paul Hibbert
Prospective epidemiological studies, some randomized prevention trials, and many short-term studies have revealed a good deal about the specific dietary and lifestyle determinants of major chronic diseases such as diabetes, coronary artery disease (CAD), ischemic stroke, and some specific cancers. These diseases were common only in high-income countries but recently are now becoming the dominant sources of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A general conclusion is that reducing identified, modifiable dietary and lifestyle risk factors could prevent most cases of CAD, stroke, and diabetes. These diseases are not inevitable consequences of a modern society. Low rates of these diseases can be attained without drugs or expensive medical facilities. The key to preventing these diseases will require changes in behaviors related to smoking, physical activity, and diet; investments in education, food policies, and urban physical infrastructure are needed to support and encourage these changes.
