Recipient Organization
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
11868 College Backborne Road
Princess Anne,MD 21853
Performing Department
Agriculture
Non Technical Summary
One of the most pressing issues of many nations in the world including the United States (U.S.) where there exists surplus of food is hunger.The problem of hunger in the U.S. may be viewed as a problem of food security or insecurity (defined as lack of food and nutrient availability or access for all people at all times) faced by individuals or a community, a state, counties, and regions such as the Delmarva Peninsula (DP).According to the Economic Research Service (ERS) of the USDA, and other recent studies, about 15% of the total population (representing approximately 50 million people in the country) suffer from food insecurity and where nearly one-third (1/3) of the affected are children [3, 4 5].The lack of access to food and inadequate nutrient (food insecurity) in the U.S. has been attributed to poverty, unemployment, underemployment, and high costs of food, medicine, and other basic needs such as housing and clothing and has potential consequences that can be categorized in to two sets. The first set is the "health physical and social and mental well-being" which can cause malnutrition (lack of micronutrient), sickness and perhaps inability to operate mentally. The second set is basically its impact on the quality of life [9]. Furthermore, according to Sherman, food insecurity may result in impaired growth and cognitive development [10]. Therefore, food insecurity is a social problem which has implications for national security of the country.Emergency food organizations have revealed that hunger and poverty has increased tremondesly in the Peninusuly for more than three decades and the trend is expected to continue until the Peninsula is able to meet effectively the needs of its needy popoulation, particularly children and senior citizens. Because of the expected increase in hunger (due to the current economic situation and other factors) and the importance of food assistance to low income households, food policymakers in the nation, the state, and particularly in the Peninsula need sound information on food security to provide the safety net for an adequate diet. The proposed study will use food costs, price changes to identify food insecurity, as well as to analyze the economic and physiological aspects of nutrition and health of different population groups in the Peninsula. Using current and past models to determine food costs, nutrient availability (Basiotis et al.,) [28]; impact of socioeconomic factors on food consumption (Adrian & Daniel, ) [29]; construction of true cost of food indexes from the Engel curves (Blisard & Blaylock,) [30]; food expenditures (Horton & Campbell) [31]; budgeting decision (Deaton & Muellbauer,) [32]; and the effects of price changes on nutrient availability/intake (Huang & Hahn) [33],The main purpose of this study, therefore, is to determine the relationship between food costs and nutrient availability in the Delmarva Peninsula.The findings of this study, in general, is expected to provide the degree of food insecurity which is necessary to assess hunger and poverty in the Peninsula, due to food costs, price changes, and nutrient availability (or the lack there off).
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The main purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between food costs and nutrient availability in the Delmarva Peninsula. The specific objectives are to: (1) conduct a survey of food consumption in low-income households in the Peninsula to determine food costs and nutrient availability, (2) determine the impact of socioeconomic factors (income, family size, food stamp participant, nonparticipant, race, and education) on nutrient intake (protein, food energy, calcium, iron, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin A, vitamin C), and (3) identify the effects of price changes on the level of food consumption. Doing so is expected to provide, in general, the degree of food insecurity which is necessary to assess hunger and poverty in the Peninsula.
Project Methods
The model will be based upon current and past models used to determine food costs, nutrient availability (Basiotis et al.,) [28]; impact of socioeconomic factors on food consumption (Adrian & Daniel, ) [29]; construction of true cost of food indexes from the Engel curves (Blisard & Blaylock,) [30]; food expenditures (Horton & Campbell) [31]; budgeting decision (Deaton & Muellbauer,) [32]; and the effects of price changes on nutrient availability/intake (Huang & Hahn) [33] . Data on household food supply and other socioeconomic variables will originate from the intended, probability, and nonprobability sampling techniques, survey of low-income households in the Delmarva Peninsula so that food cost, nutrient availability and the effects of socioeconomic variables particularly, the effects of price changes on consumer nutrient, can be determined. Food cost is the money value of food during the survey and nutrient availability is determined by the nutrition level of food consumption. The socioeconomic variables may include income, family size, education, race, age-sex composition, geographical area, food and nonfood prices, food stamp participants and nonparticipants.Finally, each one of the explanatory variables such as income, family size, education, household head, geographical location, race, etc., will be regressed against food cost and each nutrient so that their impacts can be determined (i.e., food costs and nutrient availability will be determined by a set of multiple regressions).Most of the first year will be used in gathering key information on food security in the Peninsula. There will be a formative evaluation which will detect problems that arise during the project. For example, the principal investigator and members of the research group (research associates, students) will convene on a monthly basis to discuss the time-lines and quantifiable goals of the project. Quarterly reports will be required to assess progress. These reports will be used in preparing a summative evaluation at the end of each year. These summative evaluations will scrutinize the effectiveness of the procedures and techniques of the project so that basis can be established to see if goals and objectives are met. Also, feedback from these summative evaluations will help greatly in assessing the project success or shortfall. Also our cooperators will be involved in evaluation of the project through feedbacks and other means.