Getting appropriate nutrition is a determining human right and the basis of any health system. Notwithstanding, millions of people live in a situation where they lack sufficient food to lead a healthy life because they are constantly battling with the problem of food insecurity, which is defined as a condition of insufficient intake of nutritious food on a regular and consistent basis. Working during the internship, I encountered many consequences for this matter to individuals and communities. Ensuring Equitable access to a proper diet is a significant public health issue necessitating a multi-sector approach that combines community initiatives like urban gardens alongside a thorough understanding of health behavior theories, epidemiological evidence, effective communication tactics, and supportive policy plans.
The Prevalence of Food Insecurity
The community I interned, mirrors the problem of food insecurity at the national and international levels that affects both the large population and the people. In comparison to the original findings of the local food bank, 15% of people in the area can’t afford food (Pollard & Sue 4). This concern significantly affects people experiencing poverty, the old, and people experiencing homelessness who cannot feed themselves. Most of these people rely on food assistance like food pantries or soup kitchens (USDA n.d). Concerningly, our community data coincides with the national statistics. Specifically, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that 12.8% of American households were food insecure in 2022.
At the global level, the scenario is even worse, as the UN postulates that 691-798 million people in the world will be undernourished in 2022 (United Nations n.p). Access to affordable and healthy food is one of the leading indicators of food shortage in our community. Low-income areas are often zoned as “food deserts,” meaning those communities generally lack fresh and healthy fruits and foods, leaving people to eat only what fast food restaurants and convenience stores offer (Pollard & Sue 4). On top of this, the costly healthy foods can be more affordable for people with lower incomes; thus, they eat cheaper, inadequate foods.
Best Practices: Community Gardens as a Sustainable Solution
A popular solution commonly used in many communities to overcome the problem of poor nutrition is countrywide community programs like community gardens and food banks. These programs allow for nutritious food and let the community take control of nutritional requirements by themselves (Lindner 1-3). The most important thing during my internship was that we followed this excellent practice. Our work included partnering with community organizations to create gardens in areas harshly hit by food insecurity to produce fresh vegetables for needy people.
Of all the practical solutions that have gained widespread recognition to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition, one of the most efficient and widely recognized has been the construction of community gardens. A community garden is a project in which people or a group work together to grow plants and vegetables on a shared public land (Buabeng, pp.6-10). Such initiatives also provide the residents with the required fresh and locally grown products, a sense of community, and somehow sustain environmental protection.
An article that was released in the journal A Journal for Undergraduate Research evaluated the effect of community gardens on several communities in deprived areas. The community garden afforded the households accessibility to their fruit and vegetable consumption, which was reported to be higher than those without the accessibility; they experienced mental health improvement and increased community engagement, which the researchers reported (Lindner 2-4). Furthermore, community gardens can also act as teaching resources, exposing residents to beneficial skills in gardens, how to grow, nutrition, and environmental conservation.
It was my privilege to get on fieldwork and work with a non-governmental organization that built an urban garden in our city’s neighborhood, a food desert. Though not explicitly based on best practices and underlying values such as community involvement, education, and sustainable food production, their work was apparent in these efforts. The community garden, where I was able to observe the unveiling of the benefits of fresh produce and a healthy diet lifestyle, has played a crucial role in growing a sense of community, belonging, and responsibility.
Theoretical Foundations and Interdisciplinary Approach
As I move through my public health degree program, I can obtain theoretical constructs and practical understanding from several classes that have shaped my interdisciplinary perspective on tackling food insecurity and nutrition. The “Health Behavior and Education” course was another one that I took, which laid an excellent theoretical background for me with the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) proposed by Albert Bandura. SCT outlines how personal attributes, environmental forces, and behavior (Alexander et al. n.p) are inseparable. This theory allowed me to identify intricate interactions that govern what and how people eat and the value of considering both the personal and environmental facets while devising intervention plans.
The Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases course provided information about the place of occurrence and the determinants of these conditions, many of which are related to poor quality nutrition (Gregório et al. n.p). By realizing what one’s diet can do to prevent diseases like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, I appreciated the implementation of a healthy eating lifestyle.
Conclusion
Overcoming food insecurity and granting people an opportunity to have a healthy diet is a problem that should be considered a holistic and cross-discipline issue. Through the internship program, I have undergone and the thinking I have given to the academic coursework, I have come to grasp the root causes of this public health issue, how best to practice it, and the theoretical frameworks behind it.
Community gardens offer sustainable small-scale produce, boost community work, and educate and inspire community members to be good stewards of the environment. By integrating theoretical background from areas such as health behavior, epidemiology, communication, and social science, we can create comprehensive and contextualized interventions that address the personal, environmental, and systemic issues behind food insecurity.
By designing as public health professionals, we are pushing for policies and programs that are both evidence-based and fair for everybody. We are helping the communities to put their food system under their control through access to nutritious foods. This kind of effort at food security allows us to deal with the health of individuals as well as the population. It helps people to be socially united and society as a whole to become more sustainable and no less just.
Works Cited
Alexander, Dayna S., et al. “Examining Whether the Social Cognitive Theory Concepts Predict Childhood Obesity Prevention Outcome Expectations.” International Quarterly of Community Health Education, vol. 41, no. 2, 1 Apr. 2020, pp. 143–151, https://doi.org/10.1177/0272684×20915383.
Barrett, Christopher B. “Overcoming Global Food Security Challenges through Science and Solidarity.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics, vol. 103, no. 2, 27 Oct. 2020, pp. 422–447, https://doi.org/10.1111/ajae.12160
Buabeng, Felix, and Erasmus Kabu A. “Addressing Community Food Security through Gardening: A Review.” International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Rural Development Studies, vol. 9, no. 4, 15 Apr. 2022, pp. 1–13, https://doi.org/10.37745/ijaerds.15/vol9n4113
Gregório, Maria João, et al. “Food Insecurity Is Associated with Low Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Adverse Health Conditions in Portuguese Adults.” Frontiers in Public Health, vol. 6, 21 Feb. 2018, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2018.00038
Lindner, Chloe. “Rooted in Community”: The Importance of Community Gardens.” A Journal for Undergraduate Research, vol. 8, 2021, https://ojs.lib.uwo.ca/index.php/lajur/article/download/13648/11234
Pollard, Christina M, and Sue Booth. “Food Insecurity and Hunger in Rich Countries—It Is Time for Action against Inequality.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 16, no. 10, 21 May 2019, p. 1804, https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16101804
United Nations. “Food.” United Nations, 2023, https://www.un.org/en/global-issues/food#:~:text=Global%20hunger%20remained%20relatively%20unchanged,with%207.9%20percent%20in%202019.
USDA. “USDA ERS – Key Statistics & Graphics.” Www.ers.usda.gov, 25 Oct. 2023, https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/key-statistics-graphics/#foodsecure
write