Healthy food access is more about affordability than proximity

Healthy food purchasing and consumption behaviors among low-income, low-access consumers are often attributed to the availability of healthy food retail outlets in their neighborhoods. However, studies suggest that the adage if you build it, they will come may not result in improved dietary intake and access because drivers of behavior are multi-faceted and not confined to the factor of proximity. With Extension professionals\u27 guidance, a local food policy council subcommittee explored perceptions of food access among patrons of service providers located in low-income census tracts in Henderson, NV. The Council prepared a report based on their findings to help city planners assess residents\u27 needs and desires living in and around identified food deserts as part of a REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health) grant deliverable through a sponsorship with the local health department. Qualitative and quantitative data were obtained during three focus group sessions from 28 participants, which were mostly low-income, including two groups of seniors and one group of Hispanic mothers of young children. Participants filled out a 15-item pre-survey, and a 10-item open-ended discussion guide was used to facilitate the focus group discussions. The principal factor influencing food shopping was price/cost, quality, and location/convenience following correspondingly. Seventy-eight percent used neighborhood grocery stores as their primary place to get food; however, 75% stated they also used farmers markets, and 60% also used food pantries. Qualitative data showed that most participants had a good base of existing nutrition knowledge and desired what most consumers want: affordability, quality, selection, convenience, and safe, wholesome food. Themes emerging from the qualitative data analysis included health (current and future), planning, availability, influences on behavior, foods considered healthy or unhealthy, federal nutrition programs, and putting others\u27 needs before their own. Preliminary findings show that these urban low-income, low-access consumers perceive their most significant barrier to obtaining healthy food is lack of money, not living in a food desert, or lack of nutrition knowledge. Ensuring residents in a food desert have employment opportunities created by adding a healthy food retail outlet in their neighborhood may be more meaningful than bringing in a business run by outsiders. City planners are challenged to explore ways to help low-income residents get a leg-up in their community through job creation and other forms of community development that create economic opportunity and increase access to good quality healthy food

Techniques for Establishing Educational Programs Through the African American Faith Community

In 1996, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension began to explore reaching the African American population through the faith community. The goal was to address the disproportionately high incidence of chronic disease in that population. Many meetings and discussions followed with clergy and their staff, which resulted in shared desire and concern for the health of their congregation. Through these experiences specific techniques are offered for effectively establishing educational programs for the African American community. This effort led to the development and implementation of other health and nutrition programs targeted to address life-threatening issues associated with the African American community

The Impact of Selected Socioeconomic Factors on Asset Building in Rural Communities

The study examined the impact of selected socioeconomic factors on asset building. Using a questionnaire, data were obtained from a convenience sample of 204 participants from several Alabama Black Belt Counties, and analyzed using descriptive statistics and logit analysis. The results showed that a majority (64%) was willing to participate in an asset building program. Of this, an overwhelming majority (at most 70%) wanted to set up a small business; further their education, or purchase a home. In addition, one socioeconomic factor, age, had a statistically significant (p = 0.016) effect on willingness to participate in an asset building program. Consequently, it was recommended that policies and programs that encourage participation in asset building be put in place for residents in the study area, focusing on age as a key factor, among others, to improve wealth. Critical resources to use in this effort are the community-based organizations, and research institutions

Factors that Influence Nontraditional Adult Learners\u27 Online Course Persistence: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study

Historically, the typical first-year college student was an 18-year-old high school graduate still living at home. However, today’s college students are frequently older adults pursuing higher education in record numbers and for a myriad of reasons. In fact, these older students are nontraditional adult learners (NALs), and they are the new majority student population (NCES, 2012). Nontraditional adult learners are identified as a student 25-years and older, entering college for the first time or re-entering college after a gap in their education. Additionally, NALs prefer to enroll in online courses because of the convenience and flexibility of online learning. However, online learners are at a higher risk for attrition than those enrolled in face-to-face classes (Hart, 2012; Park & Choi, 2009; Rovai, 2003; Xu & Jaggars, 2014). This study, viewed through the lens of the adult learning theory of andragogy, employed an explanatory sequential mixed method research design. Further, this investigation examined to what extent NALs’ online learning experiences are consistent with the theory of andragogy (Park, Robinson, & Bates, 2016). Therefore, the Andragogy in Practice Inventory (Version 4) survey was administered in the first strand to measure the two distinct constructs of andragogy. The second strand consisted of qualitative interviews. The survey results (N=168) revealed that the seven principles of andragogy were regarded as having a major influence on online learning, but not all of the instructional process elements. The instructional process elements of; diagnoses of learning needs; climate setting; mutual planning; setting of objectives, and design of the learning experience, were less likely to have a major influence on online course persistence. However, in contrast to the survey respondents, the interview informants considered all of the instructional process elements as an influence on their online course persistence

THE IMPACT OF SELECTED SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS ON ASSET BUILDING IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

The study examined the impact of selected socioeconomic factors on asset building. Using a questionnaire, data were obtained from a convenience sample of 204 participants from several Alabama Black Belt Counties, and analyzed using descriptive statistics and logit analysis. The results showed that a majority (64%) was willing to participate in an asset building program. Of this, an overwhelming majority (at most 70%) wanted to set up a small business; further their education, or purchase a home. In addition, one socioeconomic factor, age, had a statistically significant (p = 0.016) effect on willingness to participate in an asset building program. Consequently, it was recommended that policies and programs that encourage participation in asset building be put in place for residents in the study area, focusing on age as a key factor, among others, to improve wealth. Critical resources to use in this effort are the community-based organizations, and research institutions