How Does Food Security Impact Residents of a Food Desert and a Food Oasis?

Abstract

This study explored how factors that influence food buying practices make it harder for food secure and food insecure households to eat healthy. Twenty-five men and women participated in the concept mapping process, a mixed methods approach that allows participants to identify, sort, and rate ideas according to their perceptions. Participants identified 121 unique statements and sorted them into 12 clusters that represented their perceptions. Cluster ratings were higher among food-insecure participants compared to food-secure participants. A secondary aim was to explore how food security and food desert statuses are perceived to hinder healthy eating. Food secure participants in a food desert perceived clusters as more important to hindering healthy eating than food-secure participants in a food oasis. Similar perceptions were noted among food-insecure residents in either a food desert or a food oasis. Findings contribute to our understanding of how perceptions differ by food desert and food security statuses.