Research & Practice
Facilitating Healthy Changes at Food Pantries through the Development and Utilization of a Standardized Environment Assessment Tool
Food pantries often serve as a primary source of nutrition for food insecure populations. Because food insecurity is associated with poor quality diets and higher obesity prevalence, there is a need for food pantries to consider the nutritional impact of the foods that are available, and the environment in which these foods are displayed and offered. In order to implement specific and appropriate changes to facilitate client behavior change around the selection of healthy foods, food pantries need a way to systematically assess their current food pantry environment and the foods that they make available.
This project serves two purposes: to provide data for the field test of the Healthy Food Pantry Environment Assessment Tool, and to facilitate environmental changes at the food pantry level. This is part of a larger study conducted by the Regional Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Centers of Excellence Western Region to provide a method of standardized assessment of food pantry environments. Through the field test of this tool at the Stanwood-Camano Island Food Bank, this project will also facilitate the development and implementation of site-specific intervention activities to improve the food pantry environment.
Materials Available
Project Type(s): MPH Practicum, PH Concentration Poster
Author(s): Gaelen Ritter
Program(s): Master of Public Health, RDN Training
Year: 2017
Adviser(s):