A Mixed-Method Multiple Case Study of Three Business Models for Local Healthy Food Delivery Systems in Underprivileged Urban Areas

Define a USDA food desert Analyze the three business models for benefits and deficiencies Identify methods for starting a sustainable mobile farmers market program. Over 40% of Berrien County Michigan land use is agricultural. Many products are fruits and vegetables. Yet, the county has six identified USDA defined Food Deserts. Past research, based on a mobile farmers market, confirmed local trends and deficits. The purpose for this research is to define a sustainable business model that delivers healthy local food options to USDA Food Deserts combating food inequity. A mixed method multiple case study was created to test three business models in one of the local Food Deserts. Results identify a sustainable model that provides local healthy food options. Model One developed lunchtime stops serving robust local businesses and community epicenters, with a goal of creating lunchtime profit, focusing evenings on service stops at a potential loss. Model Two required local farmers to provide produce at no cost to the market. Market locations were service stops embedded inside the residential community and stops increased to 15 per week. Model Three purchased local produce and focused stops on work and shopping locals, targeting the ALICE poverty segment. Models were tested for two weeks each with data collected for correlational comparison. Results show a high demand for lunch hour food options. Labor at such stops was increased over service stops. Model Two proved willingness from local farmers to support neighboring Food Deserts, yet sales didn’t equal market costs. Model Three demonstrated increased demand from ALICE segments. Conclusions indicate that sustainability could be reached with a hybrid model with limited volunteer intern positions. A three to five-year plan should be built with funding support ebbing with market growth

Integration of Biblical prophecies and Current Events in Environmental Health Course Receives Consistently High Ratings

In recent years, planet Earth has been experiencing unprecedented cataclysmic events that signal to scientists a major catastrophic event. Anthropogenic climate change seems to be a key player in setting record-breaking natural disasters in the environment. Principles of Environmental Health (PBHL 525) integrates biblical prophecies to current events in the environment. Some of the topics include global climate change and resulting natural disasters. Globalization of business and transmission of newly emerging infectious diseases, melting glaciers and sea level rises. PBHL 525 provides an excellent model for the integration of faith in the classroom

P-11 Obesity and Breast Cancer Incidence and Mortality among Minority Women in Berrien County, MI

In Berrien County, 72% of adults are overweight or obese. Priority health needs that emerged from the Berrien County Needs Assessment Report were obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and mental health. Most of these conditions are hallmarks of metabolic syndrome which signals the onset of chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the current study is to establish partnerships with Black/African American (AA) women in Berrien County who experience a high incidence of breast cancer. The long-term goal of the study is to investigate the relationship between metabolic syndrome and breast cancer. We report preliminary data on breast cancer and obesity rates in Berrien County. Methods: Data obtained from Berrien County Needs Assessment Report 2016-2019 were generated by analyzing the input of 1,300 community residents who participated in focus groups, key informant interviews, surveys, and photovoice projects. Secondary data was collected by Berrien County Health Department and Susan G Komen Michigan Quantitative data report (2015). Results: Berrien County late stage age-adjusted breast cancer incidence rates is 46 among AA women compared to 43.7 for US women. Age-adjusted Invasive breast cancer incidence is 134.3. Female breast cancer incidence and mortality rates for years 2006-2010 for AA women in Southwest Michigan are 124 and 35.8, while for White women the incidence and mortality rates are 114.5 and 23.1. Plans for breast cancer interventions are based on trends of the Healthy People 2020 breast cancer death and late-stage targets

Earthquake Disaster Resilience: A Framework for Sustainable Gardening in Haiti’s Vulnerable Population.

Food shortages following earthquake disasters lead to chronic food insecurity, malnutrition, illness, and an escalation in deaths. For Haiti, an island nation with limited resources, including food, resilience is more difficult without a framework to guide recovery. A model that proposes the use of partnership development and gardening interventions to achieve sustainable food relief is described. The approach involves assessment of needs, nutrition education and training, community and home gardens, partnerships, entrepreneurship, policy development, marketing, and the involvement of stakeholders in local and international communities. Application of the model may greatly enhance sustainable food supply for the most vulnerable populations in Haiti

C-3 Climate Change Mitigation Through Dietary Choices: Meat Analogues—A Case Study

Background: There is growing concern of climate change and the impact of diet on earth’s climate. The new Dietary Recommendations for Americans aim to address this environmental risk by calling the American public to consume diets that are healthy for them and the environment. Production of animal proteins, particularly beef, put a heavy toll on the environment. Thus, there is a need to find suitable proteins alternatives that are less demanding for the environment. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) generated by meat analogs. Methods: Life cycle assessment (LCA) was performed with SimaPro 8.0 to calculate the GHGEs generated in the production of meat analogs. In our calculations we chose one kg as functional unit; cradle to factory gate, as LCA boundaries; and TRACI 2.0, as the environmental impact method. Data inventories of each meat analog were provided by a leading manufacturer which contained the list and weight of ingredients, gas, electric, packaging materials, water use, transportation and storage. Results: The GHGEs as carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2eq) per kg of production were: chops, 3.31; corn dogs, 3.21; gluten stakes, 3.29; meat balls, 2.77; and scallops, 2.76. Conclusion: The GHGEs generated from meat analogs ranges from 2.77 to 3.39 kg CO2eq. This is about ten times lower when compared to beef products. Meat analogs are a viable alternative for consumers who intend to protect the environment through dietary choices

Diets with Customary Levels of Fat from Plant Origin May Reverse Coronary Artery Disease

© 2018 The primary cause of death worldwide is heart disease and the most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease. While coronary artery disease is treated with medications, it responds to lifestyle interventions. A low-fat plant-based diet was designed for reversing coronary artery disease and it is effective in reversing the disease. It has not been tested, however, as far as we know, whether diets with customary levels of fat can also reverse coronary artery disease. Nevertheless, evidence is accumulating to show that atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease are reversed with diets containing customary levels of fat. It has been known that fats of plant origin decrease the risk factors of cardiovascular disease. It is also known that vegans who consume diets with customary levels of fat have the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease. But recent and more specific data show that atherosclerosis was decreased when nuts that are rich in fat were added to a Mediterranean diet while atherosclerosis was increased in the controls. Also, two clinical cases show that coronary artery disease was reversed by low-fat plant-based diets that were supplemented with fat-rich foods of plant origin. These data, then, provide evidence that coronary artery disease may be reversed with a diet containing customary levels of fat from plant sources. We hypothesize that coronary artery disease may be reversed by diets with customary levels of fat of plant origin that are low in saturated fat content. This hypothesis needs to be tested by comparing a traditional low-fat plant-based diet with a plant-based diet containing customary levels of fat of plant origin in their effectiveness to reverse coronary artery disease

Parental perceptions of eating behaviors, and body image and the risk for obesity in children from food desert areas in Berrien County, Michigan

Background: Childhood Obesity has tripled in the United States since the 1970s with one in five school-aged children being obese. In Berrien County, Michigan, roughly, 72% of adults are overweight or obese. The social context that includes low socioeconomic status and mother’s perception of child’s body image and eating behaviors that influence dietary patterns in children are not well understood. Study objective is to assess the relationship of parent’s perception of eating behaviors and body image with risk for obesity in toddlers participating in the Berrien County’s WIC program. Methods: A random sample consisting of forty-one parents from Berrien County completed a Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ) that consisted of 35 eating behavior questions categorized into five different eating behaviors. In addition, to identify parental perceptions of child’s eating behaviors, we examined the body image choice of the silhouettes of children chosen by the mother. Results: Analysis of the CEBQ questionnaire data using SPSS (v.24) suggests a strong relationship between parental perception of child’s image and BMI (r = 0.67, p\u3c0.01). Similarly, in an age-adjusted regression model, parental perception was a significant predictor of child’s BMI (r 2 = 0.4). Perceptions of mothers of child’s eating behaviors based on Silhouettes was consistent with the CEBQ data. Food responsiveness significantly correlated with emotional overeating, enjoyment of food, and emotional undereating. However, these behaviors did not significantly predict BMI. Conclusions: Our study suggests that mother’s perceptions of child’s eating behaviors were accurate in identifying child’s risk for obesity

P-26 Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome among African American Women in Benton Harbor, Michigan

The emergence of the obesity epidemic worldwide has been associated with increases in metabolic syndrome, breast cancer, and type 2 diabetes in the industrialized countries. The clinical significance of these associations remains controversial because of limited human data. It is unclear whether overweight women, or those with abdominal obesity or those with metabolic syndrome, are at increased risk for breast cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In Berrien County Michigan, 72% of adults are overweight or obese. The purpose of this study was to find the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and chronic diseases among African American women who experience a high incidence of breast cancer. Methods: 41 African American women were enrolled into the study. Women completed a demographic and breast cancer survey and a validated food frequency questionnaire. Cardiochek Analyzer was used to measure metabolic syndrome blood parameters that included glucose, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol and HDL Cholesterol. Body composition was assessed with a Tanita Body Composition analyzer. IBM SPSS v.24 was used for statistical analysis. Chi-square tests were used for categorical variables. Results: The age of the study population ranged from 23 to 84. The mean body mass index was 32.7±8.62 and mean fat percent was 42.79±6.8. Out of the total participants, 59.1% had high triglyceride levels and 74% were either overweight or obese. Total breast cancer cases previously and currently diagnosed were 41.3%. The following chronic diseases were reported: breast cancer, diabetes, hypertension, thyroid problems and migraines. Glucose and cholesterol levels were normal for most participants due to the use of medications. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome was 37.9%. Conclusion: Majority of the participants were obese. Several participants had two or more criteria for metabolic syndrome and were at risk for cardiovascular disease. Hypertension was most frequently reported. Although blood glucose and cholesterol levels were normal because of the use of medications, most women had high body fat percent and waist circumference. Due to the complex nature of metabolic syndrome, “Systems Thinking” approach-using systems thinking tools, multiple interventions and life style changes may be appropriate for preventing and controlling chronic diseases among this cohort. Further studies will include larger sample size to establish relation between metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular and cancer risk among African American populations