Community food security assessment in san antonio: Barriers and coping strategies

Introduction: The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District (Metro Health) is addressing the obesity epidemic by implementing population-based changes to promote healthy eating and active living and address health inequity. In San Antonio about 18% of families receive some food assistance (WIC/SNAP) and 16.5% adults consume 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day, according to BRFSS 2010 data. Method: Metro Health worked with the University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA) to conduct a Community Food Security assessment. The primary data was from questionnaires (n=241) which provided information on the social determinants of food insecurity among at-risk families in San Antonio. Additionally focus group discussions (n=39) were conducted to assess the barriers and coping strategies to food insecurity in San Antonio .The topics for discussions included access to food, social support, barriers to food assistance, coping strategies, self efficacy, place for food purchases, access to fruits and vegetables and suggestions for improvement. Results: Many respondents shared their coping strategies, which included meal-planning, food rationing and consuming lower quality foods. They expressed frustration with food assistance programs in slow and difficult processing, low benefits, and limited fruits and vegetables in benefits packages. Their suggestions included education on meal planning, home gardening, and cooking classes to help improve local food environment. Discussion: The assessment emphasizes the need for nutrition education ( meal planning and cooking) and simplifying the process for obtaining food assistance by the vulnerable population