A community-based system dynamics approach suggests solutions for improving healthy food access in a low-income urban environment.
Little is known about the mechanisms through which neighborhood-level factors (e.g., social support, economic opportunity) relate to suboptimal availability of healthy foods in low-income urban communities. We engaged a diverse group of chain and local food outlet owners, residents, neighborhood org...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2019-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216985 |
| _version_ | 1819035344702537728 |
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| author | Yeeli Mui Ellis Ballard Eli Lopatin Rachel L J Thornton Keshia M Pollack Porter Joel Gittelsohn |
| author_facet | Yeeli Mui Ellis Ballard Eli Lopatin Rachel L J Thornton Keshia M Pollack Porter Joel Gittelsohn |
| author_sort | Yeeli Mui |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Little is known about the mechanisms through which neighborhood-level factors (e.g., social support, economic opportunity) relate to suboptimal availability of healthy foods in low-income urban communities. We engaged a diverse group of chain and local food outlet owners, residents, neighborhood organizations, and city agencies based in Baltimore, MD. Eighteen participants completed a series of exercises based on a set of pre-defined scripts through an interactive, iterative group model building process over a two-day community-based workshop. This process culminated in the development of causal loop diagrams, based on participants' perspectives, illustrating the dynamic factors in an urban neighborhood food system. Synthesis of diagrams yielded 21 factors and their embedded feedback loops. Crime played a prominent role in several feedback loops within the neighborhood food system: contributing to healthy food being "risky food," supporting unhealthy food stores, and severing social ties important for learning about healthy food. Findings shed light on a new framework for thinking about barriers related to healthy food access and pointed to potential new avenues for intervention, such as reducing neighborhood crime. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T07:48:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-983111efa2124c38b2fe932feb3adf8f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T07:48:08Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-983111efa2124c38b2fe932feb3adf8f2022-12-21T19:11:09ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032019-01-01145e021698510.1371/journal.pone.0216985A community-based system dynamics approach suggests solutions for improving healthy food access in a low-income urban environment.Yeeli MuiEllis BallardEli LopatinRachel L J ThorntonKeshia M Pollack PorterJoel GittelsohnLittle is known about the mechanisms through which neighborhood-level factors (e.g., social support, economic opportunity) relate to suboptimal availability of healthy foods in low-income urban communities. We engaged a diverse group of chain and local food outlet owners, residents, neighborhood organizations, and city agencies based in Baltimore, MD. Eighteen participants completed a series of exercises based on a set of pre-defined scripts through an interactive, iterative group model building process over a two-day community-based workshop. This process culminated in the development of causal loop diagrams, based on participants' perspectives, illustrating the dynamic factors in an urban neighborhood food system. Synthesis of diagrams yielded 21 factors and their embedded feedback loops. Crime played a prominent role in several feedback loops within the neighborhood food system: contributing to healthy food being "risky food," supporting unhealthy food stores, and severing social ties important for learning about healthy food. Findings shed light on a new framework for thinking about barriers related to healthy food access and pointed to potential new avenues for intervention, such as reducing neighborhood crime.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216985 |
| spellingShingle | Yeeli Mui Ellis Ballard Eli Lopatin Rachel L J Thornton Keshia M Pollack Porter Joel Gittelsohn A community-based system dynamics approach suggests solutions for improving healthy food access in a low-income urban environment. PLoS ONE |
| title | A community-based system dynamics approach suggests solutions for improving healthy food access in a low-income urban environment. |
| title_full | A community-based system dynamics approach suggests solutions for improving healthy food access in a low-income urban environment. |
| title_fullStr | A community-based system dynamics approach suggests solutions for improving healthy food access in a low-income urban environment. |
| title_full_unstemmed | A community-based system dynamics approach suggests solutions for improving healthy food access in a low-income urban environment. |
| title_short | A community-based system dynamics approach suggests solutions for improving healthy food access in a low-income urban environment. |
| title_sort | community based system dynamics approach suggests solutions for improving healthy food access in a low income urban environment |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0216985 |
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