Social Factors Discussion (ANSWERED)

There are many factors that make people healthy or ill.  This week we will focus on the social factors and determinants that impact health.

It is time to get out into your community!

• Go online to the U.S. Census Bureau at https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/ (Links to an external site.) (*note, you will be using this website in the Week 2 assignment, so you can get started on collecting all the required data if desired)
  • Input your local zip code, city, or county. Try to get as specific data as possible (city, township, county).
  • Next, identify the:
    • Total population
    • Median income
    • Percentage or number of persons living in poverty
• Go to your local grocery store, use a flyer, or app. Include the stores name, city, and state. Identify cost for the following items (please note whether items are organic):
  • 1 gallon of milk
  • 1 loaf of bread
  • 1 bag of apples (include price per pound)
  • 1 bag of carrots
  • 1 large container of yogurt
  • 1 2-liter of soda
  • 1 bag of chips
  • 1 package of cookies
• Utilizing the data collected, discuss social factors that might impact what groceries are purchased. Try to be as specific to your community as possible (location, availability, poverty levels, etc.).
• Discuss how a community health nurse (CHN) could use one of the 17 intervention categories from the Public Health Intervention Wheel to address areas of food security (Nies & McEwen, 2019).
• In your responses to classmates, include comparisons and contrasting information.

Your discussion post should look like:

• Paragraph one: Utilizing the data collected, discuss a social factor that might impact what groceries are purchased. Try to be as specific to your community as possible (location, availability, poverty levels, etc.)
• Paragraph two: Utilizing the data collected, discuss another social factor that might impact what groceries are purchased. Try to be as specific to your community as possible (location, availability, poverty levels, etc.)
• Paragraph three: Discuss how a community health nurse (CHN) could use one of the 17 intervention categories from the Public Health Intervention Wheel to address areas of food security
• Resources: Where did you find your data?

ANSWER

The inadequate number of grocery stores in Long County, Georgia, is one of the social factors impacting the type of groceries purchased in the community. A report published by the local health department reports that the grocery store in Long County is insufficient to serve the community’s needs (Liberty Regional Center [LRC], 2019).. The report also revealed that 21.7% of Long County residents lack adequate food access, possibly because of inadequate food stores [LCRC, 2019). Long County has various convenience stores but only one grocery store. This grocery store serves a population of 17,152; hence, it is highly likely that few residents can easily access it. Drewnowski et al. (2012) indicate that the positioning and number of grocery stores in a given community strongly predict diet quality and body weight. People will purchase easily accessible and available foods. Therefore, if fast foods are more easily accessible than nutritious foods, the residents will go for fast foods. Because Long County has insufficient food markets, its residents are more likely to purchase processed foods from nearby convenience stores.

Another social factor impacting the type of groceries purchased in Long County is poverty. The median household income in Long County is $52,099, and 16.7% of the residents live in poverty (US Census Bureau, 2021). French et al. (2019) reported that household income mediates individuals’ food purchasing patterns. Low-income households buy more refined foods and fewer vegetables and fruits (French et al., 2019). This study implies that low-income families and poor individuals are more likely to purchase unhealthy foods than high-income households. In Long County, sugar-sweetened beverages and refined foods are more affordable than green vegetables, fruits, seafood/plants, and dairy. For example, a two-liter of soda costs $1.48, while one large container of yogurt (32oz) costs $2.36. One gallon of whole milk costs $3.76, significantly higher than a 2-liter bottle of soda. One pound of apples costs $1.68, while a bag of chips costs $4.98. These prices indicate that healthy foods (yogurt and dairy) are more expensive than unhealthy foods (e.g., soda). Therefore, low-income households in Long County are more likely to purchase processed or refined foods than natural foods. Processed and unhealthy foods are cheaper; hence, they are more affordable to this population.

A community health nurse (CHN) can use coalition-building intervention to address the food security issues in the community. Coalition-building is an intervention that involves promoting and creating alliances with organizations to achieve a common purpose. Long County needs more grocery stores or food markets with culturally familiar produce. Coalition-building can help the CHN formalize an agreement with food suppliers to increase fresh produce available in the area.

Alternatively, the CHN can form a community garden coalition to allow residents to grow their own fresh produce. This coalition will include an organic seed company, the local health department, apartment complex owners, and faith-based organizations. They will work together to provide funds, gardening resources, or plots to community members to grow fresh, nutritious food. The advantage of this intervention is that locals will grow foods consistent with their cultural preferences. Shahriari et al. (2019) investigated factors that drive the food purchasing intentions of consumers in the US. The authors found that “authenticity/naturalness” was a stronger predictor of purchasing intention than price. According to Shahriari et al. (2019), US consumers are sensitive to ‘corrupted’ fruits, meat, and vegetables in grocery markets. Therefore, they are more likely to buy products they feel are ‘authentic’ or natural. The authors point out that the middle class in the US might be price sensitive but the authenticity of foods is more valuable to them (Shahriari et al., 2019). Community-grown food will provide the Long County residents with the authenticity or naturalness feel, increasing the community’s purchasing intentions. Due to their accessibility and availability, fresh produce might be cheaper for community residents, including the poor and low-income households.

References

French, S. A., Tangney, C. C., Crane, M. M., Wang, Y., & Appelhans, B. M. (2019). Nutrition quality of food purchases varies by household income: the SHoPPER study. BMC Public Health, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6546-2

Liberty Regional Medical Center (2019). Community health needs assessment. Liberty Regional Medical Center.

Shahriari, E., Torres, I. M., Zúñiga, M. A., & Yarlou, P. M. (2019). Values driving organic food purchase intention: A comparative analysis between a developing eastern country (Iran) and a developed Western Country (US). Journal of International Consumer Marketing, 31(4), 317-329. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Miguel_Zuniga2/publication/335130468_Values_Driving_Organic_Food_Purchase_Intention_A_Comparative_Analysis_between_a_Developing_Eastern_Country_Iran_and_a_Developed_Western_Country_US/links/60253b8b299bf1cc26bcaa8a/Values-Driving-Organic-Food-Purchase-Intention-A-Comparative-Analysis-between-a-Developing-Eastern-Country-Iran-and-a-Developed-Western-Country-US.pdf

US Census Bureau. Quickfacts: Liberty County. US Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/longcountygeorgia

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