Online Program

326400
Enacted social support in a community kitchen: Locally-developed strategies for mitigating food inequities


Tuesday, November 3, 2015 : 10:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Kala Mayer, PhD, MPH, RN, School of Nursing, University of Portland, Portland, OR
background Food security improvement for vulnerable individuals, households, and communities can reduce inequities in health. Social support provision (SSP) is a significant mediator of food security and health for groups and individuals. This presentation discusses SSP in a local food initiative, the Family Community Kitchen (CK) Project, to illuminate supportive behaviors or acts that contribute to food security-related and health outcomes in low-income participants. methods Case study methods were used to identify and describe SSP in the Family CK Project over a period of three months. results Four types of SSP were exchanged in the Family CK Project between participants. These types include: informational, emotional, appraisal and tangible support provision. Several major themes emerged from the data related to each type of SSP. Results describe themes within each type of SSP. conclusions These findings significantly enrich the literature on SSP as a mediator of food security and health by focusing on enacted rather than perceived social support. Findings reveal locally-developed strategies for mitigating food inequities and support policy solutions that prioritize locally-developed initiatives in marginalized areas. Nursing practice recommendations include the use of a SSP measurement tool to provide a more proximal indicator of initiative outcomes and a deeper understanding of how local initiatives work to support food security and health.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Public health or related nursing
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe 2 community kitchen strategies for mitigating food inequities. Explain enacted social support in relation to perceived social support.

Keyword(s): Self-sufficiency and Empowerment, Vulnerable Populations

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the principal investigator on this research. Among my scientific interests has been the exploration of locally-developed initiatives in marginalized areas and locally-developed strategies for mitigating food inequities.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.