Abstract Summary/Description
Melissa Treanor Graduate Student, Applied Sociology, Georgia State University. Targeting Nutrition Insecurity Though Data: A Research Project in Support of Georgia Community Organizations Access to good nutrition is essential to overall health and well-being, playing a significant role in reducing diet-related illnesses like diabetes, obesity, hypertension and stroke. However, barriers exist that prevent low-income individuals and families from accessing nutritious food and acquiring the skills needed for healthy meal preparation. With support from the Public Interest Data Literacy (PIDLit) grant, the Georgia State University Sociology Domestic Field School program partnered with various community organizations to collect and analyze data in hopes of improving their impact. This presentation highlights insights from focus group interviews conducted by Wholesome Wave Georgia, an organization dedicated to addressing food insecurity through community-driven programs. Via qualitative analysis facilitated using NVivo analytic software, the researchers identified key themes from the focus group data, with an aim of helping Wholesome Wave Georgia maximize the effectiveness of their programming via increasing public awareness, identifying barriers to success for participants, and highlighting behavior changes the participants undertook while enrolled. Findings suggest that financial constraints, while significant, are not the sole obstacle to healthy eating. Participants identified challenges such as limited knowledge of fresh produce storage and preparation. Despite these barriers, participants reported several positive outcomes, including increased confidence in preparing nutritious meals, stronger community connections, and greater enthusiasm for healthy eating. These insights provide actionable recommendations for improving food insecurity interventions and fostering lasting behavior change in Georgia communities.
