How adolescents cope with food insecurity in Baltimore City: an exploratory study
How adolescents cope with food insecurity in Baltimore City: an exploratory study
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DOI：
10.1017/s1368980019001216
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发表时间：
2019-08-01
影响因子：
3.2
通讯作者：
Mendelson, Tamar
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Mmari, Kristin;Offiong, Asari;Mendelson, Tamar
目的：为了增加我们对城市青少年粮食不安全的理解，我们在巴尔的摩市对青少年进行了一项定性研究，以：（一）探讨青少年如何经历和科普粮食不安全;（二）确定以社区为基础的方法或干预措施，以解决粮食不安全问题。设计：共有八个焦点小组进行了六个街区。为了收集社会人口学特征和粮食不安全的个人数据，所有同意的青少年完成了一份简短的问卷调查。背景：美国巴尔的摩市六个有目的地选择的社区。参与者：共有53名14至19岁的青少年参加了这项研究。结果如下：虽然我们的样本中有一半被归类为粮食不安全，但焦点小组中的每个人都知道青少年为了获得食物而从事危险行为。在女孩中，卖淫是最常提到的行为，而对男孩来说，这是贩卖毒品或偷窃以换取食物的钱。青少年还描述了与粮食不安全有关的巨大耻辱，并同意必须在更广泛的经济挑战范围内看待粮食不安全问题。结论：解决贫困社区青少年的粮食不安全问题应成为决策者和从业人员的高度优先事项。目前的喂养方案没有解决青少年的需要;因此，青少年有可能出现各种有害行为和后果，对健康和社会造成长期的负面影响。
Objective: To increase our understanding about food insecurity among urban adolescents, we conducted a qualitative study in Baltimore City with adolescents to: (i) explore how adolescents experience and cope with food insecurity; and (ii) identify community-based approaches or interventions for addressing food insecurity. Design: A total of eight focus groups were conducted across six neighbourhoods. To gather sociodemographic characteristics and personal data on food insecurity, all consented adolescents completed a brief questionnaire. Setting: Six purposively selected neighbourhoods in Baltimore City, USA. Participants: A total of fifty-three adolescents between the ages of 14 and 19 years participated in the study. Results: Although half of our sample was classified as food insecure, everyone in the focus groups was aware of adolescents who engaged in risky behaviours to get money for food. Among girls, prostituting was the most commonly mentioned behaviour, whereas for boys, it was selling drugs or stealing to get money for food. Adolescents also described tremendous stigma associated with food insecurity and agreed that food insecurity has to be viewed within a broader set of economic challenges. Conclusions: Addressing food insecurity among adolescents in disadvantaged neighbourhoods should be a high priority for policy makers and practitioners. Current feeding programmes are not addressing the needs of adolescents; as a result, adolescents are at risk for a variety of harmful behaviours and outcomes, with long-term negative health and social consequences.