Contextual Determinants of Household Food Security in African-American and Hispanic Neighborhoods in the Southern US

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15 years ago, Fitchen (1997) posed the question, "Why do we continue to tolerate hunger amidst the affluence of the United States?" She hypothesized that Americans expect the poor to eat marginally-the rich shall eat steak and the poor shall have cheese. Although the prevalence of food insecurity and hunger in the general population has fallen, high rates continue among African-Americans and Hispanics. What is the social and cultural context in which minority households experience food insecurity in the US? In Durham County, NC, this doctoral student will investigate the relationship between structural, community, and household factors that contribute to food security. She proposes to develop a theoretical model of food security based on the perspectives of African-American and Hispanic families living in urban and rural neighborhoods. Using food access indicators developed through GIS to identify 8 case study neighborhoods, she will use qualitative and participatory research methods to conduct key informant interviews and focus group interviews. Participants will document their own sources of household food security, the role that food assistance plays in their household food security, and the relationship of food access to food assistance and household food security. The results from this study will provide important insights into the determinants of household food security beyond and within the household.