Recipient Organization
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
3500 JOHN A. MERRITT BLVD
NASHVILLE,TN 37209
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The research project aims to address the issue of food insecurity in rural households in the United States, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has caused widespread economic hardships, job losses, and rising food prices, leading to increased levels of food insecurity among rural communities. The termination of government stimulus packages, which provided crucial financial aid during the pandemic, has further exacerbated the food insecurity challenges faced by these households who already face difficulties such as limited access to affordable and nutritious food. It is important to research this issue to understand the relationship between post-pandemic rural household resilience and food security, and the consequences of ending government assistance programs. This will help inform policy and intervention strategies to improve food security and build resilience in rural communities. By conducting this research, we seek to understand the relationship between rural household resilience and food security in the post-pandemic period. The importance of this topic extends beyond the primary end-users of the research, by improving food security and resilience in rural areas, we can contribute to the overall prosperity and well-being of these communities, and reduce socio-economic disparities.The research project will employ a two-phase qualitative and quantitative methodology. In the first phase, qualitative research methods, such as focus group discussions and an extensive literature review, will be used to identify the key factors influencing the resilience capacity of rural households and their coping strategies in the face of food insecurity. This phase will help develop a comprehensive questionnaire for the second phase.The second phase will focus on quantifying the impacts of resilience capacity on food security through data collection and analysis. Five rural counties in Tennessee will be selected for the study, and factors such as socio-economic conditions will be considered. The research team comprises experts who will collaborate to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the issue. The data will be analyzed using advanced statistical techniques, such as Structural Equation Modeling and Ordinal Logistic Regression, to quantify the relationship between resilience capacity and food security levels among these households.By analyzing the factors affecting resilience capacity and quantifying the relationship between resilience and food security, we aim to inform policy-making and intervention strategies. The research findings can guide the development of targeted economic policies, agricultural interventions, and food assistance programs that support sustainable recovery and uplift rural economies. The societal benefits include a more resilient and self-sufficient agricultural and food system, reduced socio-economic disparities, and improved community well-being. By addressing the research gaps and providing actionable insights, this project has the potential to create a positive and lasting impact on rural communities andthe economy.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
100%
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The long-term goal of this project is to improve rural household prosperity and well-being, and reduce food insecurity post COVID-19 pandemic by changing in absorptive, adaptive and transformative capacity. The aim is to address resilience capacity of rural households post COVID-19 pandemic for food security policy implication.In this study, we hypothesize that the COVID-19 pandemic creates economic hardships, including job losses, food price increases, and income reductions,that results in high challenges of food security and rural households have activated their capacity in absorptive, adaptive and transformative to improve their food security status.The specific objectives of this study are:(1) to analyze the factors affecting resilience capacity of rural households in Tennessee post COVID-19 pandemic; and(2) to quantify the relationship between resilience capacity and food security post COVID-19 pandemic of rural households in Tennessee.
Project Methods
This study employs a two-phase qualitative and quantitative research methodology.Investigated geography areas: Five selected rural counties across Tennessee namely Union, Trousdale, Johnson, Meigs, and Chester will be chosen for the study. Rated by Stacker company using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, these counties covered 100% rural areas and are deemed "highly vulnerable", in terms of socioeconomic conditions, as per the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Social Vulnerability Index.Phase 1: Qualitative research focuseson discerning the factors that influence the resilience capacity of rural households post COVID-19 pandemic, coping strategies, and how these factors impact their food security status. To gain insights, the team will first embark on an extensive literature review, drawing from the Calloway's measurementand the FAO's 2016 resilience framework. This literary groundwork will then set the stage for a series of group discussions, which will strive to validate Calloway's measurement of household resilience to food insecurity: absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capacity.For group discussions, we will employ open discussion questions with an IRB-approved semi-structured guide. For participant involvement, we will recruit 60 participants from five counties, each county's focus group will comprise 12 participants and is projected to last around 45 minutes. Prospective participants must be at least 18 years old, have been residents of the selected counties post-pandemic. Before the discussions kick-off, each participant will be asked to sign a consent form. As an appreciation for their involvement, each participant will receive a $50 gift card. Qualitative data collected will then be meticulously analyzed using the NVivo software. Phase 1 will be completed within 6 months.Phase 2: Quantitative research drawsfrom insights garnered in Phase 1. Acomprehensive questionnaire will be constructed to meet objectives 1 and 2. This questionnaire will undergo a stringent review and approval process by the TSU's IRB. For data collection, we will procure a targeted email list of 20,000 potential respondents of the five counties from Exact Data, a leading multichannel marketing firm. The initial plan involves disseminating survey invitations to the purchased email list via the Qualtrics platform. The aim is to secure participation from 300 respondents of mail surveys, incentivizing participation with a $50 gift card.A pivotal role will be played by the MS student, who will take charge of email communications and send reminder calls to ensure robust participation.The questionnaire is structured in three main sections. (1) Socio-Economic-Demographic Information: This captures basic details such as participants' gender, age, educational background, family size, and employment. (2) Resilience Capacity Post COVID-19: This segment delves into the determinants affecting rural households' resilience amid the economic hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly regarding food security. Here, participants will address issues like job losses, income reductions, and food price inflation. This section aims to explore how these challenges impact the three pillars of resilience capacity and how often certain coping strategies are employed. Moreover, participants will evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies, identifying which are deemed most successful in combatting food insecurity. (3) Food security information: Central to Objective 2, this section evaluates the interplay between the three resilience pillars, coping strategies, and the likelihood of households experiencing various levels of food security. Here, participants' food security status will be gauged using the USDA's six-item module, classifying them into specific categories such as high food security or very low food security. The Ordinal Logistic Regression Model (OLRM) will further explore the degree to which each resilience pillar influences these food security classifications. Lastly, participants will discuss the coping strategies they have adopted to navigate food security challenges.Data analysis tool:For Objective 1, which seeks to analyze the resilience capacity of rural households post-COVID-19 pandemic, the methodology harnesses Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). SEM uncovers relationships between observed and latent variables, streamlining vast data into manageable components via Principal Component Analysis. Factor scores will be computed using Bartlett's method to ensure unbiased estimates. An overarching Resilience Capacity Index (RCI), alongside indices for three resilience pillars, will be calculated using Min-Max scaling transformation. A series of validation checks, such as the Bartlett Test of Sphericity, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) statistic, and the determinant of the R-Matrix, will be undertaken to confirm the model's robustness. The Varimax Rotation methodwill then be employed to refine factor loadings and aid data interpretation.For Objective 2, the focus is on quantifying the impacts of rural households' resilience capacity on food security post-COVID-19, utilizing the Ordinal Logistic Regression Model. The model effectively captures the ordinal nature of food security levels, categorizing them into "High or marginal food security," "Low food security," and "Very low food security." The main independent variables to be considered include the index of absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capacities, coping strategies, and various socio-economic markers. Within the OLRM, the latent variable represents the household's food security levels. To ensure model accuracy, the Brant test will be deployed, examining the proportionality assumption. The model's final goal is to determine the probability of households falling into specific food security levels based on their resilience capacity and coping strategies.