Inequitable distribution of food venues that sell produce and other foods seen as
healthy within a neighborhood has been suggested as a contributor to health inequities.
My research was designed to address the following question: How do healthy food access
advocates in Sacramento County conceptualize “healthy food access” and construct their
strategies? I conducted in-depth interviews with twenty-two non-profit and government
staff and unpaid community activists who have worked on projects identified as
increasing “healthy food access”. My research showed that interviewees often believed
their projects were important for prevention of obesity and chronic disease, but
emphasized the goal of the project as “community-building”. While there were varying
opinions on the strategies to engage community members, community engagement was
highly prioritized; the successful outcome was often seen as social capital. Interviewees
believed that engaging community members around the topic of food was an important
community development strategy. Interviewees generally felt projects strengthened
neighborhood relationships and built a stronger community, yet identified community
engagement could be improved within the projects. Despite emphasizing food as having
the potential to unify community members, interviewees revealed that food consumption
behavior can be complex, personal, and sensitive when discussing their own food
choices. I argue that engaging community members around the topic of “healthy food” is
more complicated than interviewees generally discussed in the interviews due to the
complex, sensitive, and personal nature of food. I question the belief popularized by food
movement activists - that food is unquestionably a unifying force to engage community
members around simply because “everybody eats food”
Inequitable distribution of food venues that sell produce and other foods seen as
healthy within a neighborhood has been suggested as a contributor to health inequities.
My research was designed to address the following question: How do healthy food access
advocates in Sacramento County conceptualize “healthy food access” and construct their
strategies? I conducted in-depth interviews with twenty-two non-profit and government
staff and unpaid community activists who have worked on projects identified as
increasing “healthy food access”. My research showed that interviewees often believed
their projects were important for prevention of obesity and chronic disease, but
emphasized the goal of the project as “community-building”. While there were varying
opinions on the strategies to engage community members, community engagement was
highly prioritized; the successful outcome was often seen as social capital. Interviewees
believed that engaging community members around the topic of food was an important
community development strategy. Interviewees generally felt projects strengthened
neighborhood relationships and built a stronger community, yet identified community
engagement could be improved within the projects. Despite emphasizing food as having
the potential to unify community members, interviewees revealed that food consumption
behavior can be complex, personal, and sensitive when discussing their own food
choices. I argue that engaging community members around the topic of “healthy food” is
more complicated than interviewees generally discussed in the interviews due to the
complex, sensitive, and personal nature of food. I question the belief popularized by food
movement activists - that food is unquestionably a unifying force to engage community
members around simply because “everybody eats food”
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