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Household food insecurity is not necessarily equally experienced by all household members, with mothers often changing their intake first when food resources are limited. The purpose of this study was to understand the association between maternal mental health and intrahousehold differences in food security statuses. A cross-sectional survey was administered to Virginia mothers with low income (August–October 2021), assessing validated measures of food security, mental and physical health and related factors. Participants (n = 570) were grouped according to the food security status of adults and children within the household. Linear regression was used to assess the outcomes of interest by group and controlled for key demographic variables. Mothers in households with any food insecurity reported worse overall mental health and used 3–4 more food coping strategies than households experiencing food security (p < 0.05). Only mothers in households where adults experienced food insecurity reported significantly greater anxiety and depressive symptoms (61.5 and 58.1, respectively) compared to households experiencing food security (55.7 and 52.4, p < 0.001). While any experience of household food insecurity is associated with worse maternal mental health, there were differences by the within-household food security status. Future research should explore screening measures that capture specific household members’ food security to connect households with available resources.

People with overweight and obesity tend to both underreport dietary energy intake and experience weight stigma. This exploratory pilot study aimed to determine the relationship between weight bias and weight stigma and energy intake reporting accuracy. Thirty-nine weight-stable adults with BMI ≥ 25 completed three 24 h dietary recalls; indirect calorimetry to measure resting metabolic rate; a survey measuring weight stigma, psychosocial constructs, and physical activity; and a semi-structured qualitative interview. Multiple linear regression was used to determine if weight bias internalization, weight bias toward others, and experiences of weight stigma were predictive of the accuracy of energy reporting. A thematic analysis was conducted for the qualitative interviews. Weight stigma was reported by 64.1% of the sample. Weight stigma constructs did not predict the accuracy of energy intake reporting. People with obesity underreported by a mean of 477 kcals (p = 0.02). People classified as overweight overreported by a mean of 144 kcals, but this was not significant (p = 0.18). Participants reported a desire to report accurate data despite concerns about reporting socially undesirable foods. Future research should quantify the impact of weight stigma on energy reporting in 24 h recalls using a larger, more diverse sample size and objective measures like doubly labeled water for validation.

Although healthy food retail strategies are widely used, there appears to be a limited understanding of the processes and determinants for successful adoption, implementation, and sustainment. To fill this gap, we recommend the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment (EPIS) framework to be used to advance the science and practice of healthy food retail. In this perspective, we: (1) introduce EPIS and describe why it was chosen as a recommended implementation science framework for healthy food retail, (2) highlight healthy food retail evidence supporting EPIS, and (3) discuss research and practice needs mov-ing forward.

To date, there has been limited research about the nutritional quality of school lunches during the COVID-19 pandemic. This analysis compared the nutritional profile of grab-and-go take-home lunches compared to standard lunches provided during in-person class instruction once normal schedules and school meals resumed at one elementary school. The study included two school lunch menus: 1) – one menu for take-home school lunches retained from January 2021 (COVID-19 lunches); and one lunch menu the school system’s standard food distributor from January 2023 (standard lunches). The nutritional content of the COVID-19 meals was analyzed using Food Processor nutrition software. Both lunch menus were analyzed for macronutrients – carbohydrates, cholesterol, fats, fiber, protein, and sugar along with micronutrients- calcium, potassium, sodium, iron, and vitamin D. A Mann Whitney U tests were used to compare differences between two independent groups – COVID-19 lunches and standard lunches. The Bonferroni adjustment was a post hoc adjustment used to decrease type I error. The COVID-19 meal entrees contained more iron than the standard lunch. For standard meals, the fruit groups contained more iron. The COVID-19 meal’s milk group contained significantly more total fat and vitamin D than the standard lunches. In the total meals, the only significant difference was a higher level of calcium in the COVID-19 take-home meals compared to standard meals. This analysis indicates school meals served during COVID-19 were nutritionally equivalent to standard meals, in spite of limitations with packaging lunches, supply side issues, etc. Additional research is warranted with larger sample sizes to provide broader insight into USDA school meals during COVID-19 and potential impacts on youth benefiting from these meals.

Objective: To explore factors influencing the adoption of direct education programs and policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change initiatives focused on physical activity for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-eligible audiences by Virginia Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) staff. Methods: Online survey with Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and SNAP-Ed peer (paraprofessional) educators (n = 28) and SNAP-Ed agents (master of science level) (n = 9) in Virginia. Descriptive statistics were computed for sociodemographic characteristics and responses to questions on the basis of Likert-type scales. Exploratory factor analyses were run to identify the underlying structures of the different variables. Results: The main factors for peer educators were related to substituting nutrition programs or content for physical activity programs. Other factors included staff qualifications and expectations about leading vs teaching physical activities. For PSEs, the top factors were the capacity to reach many community members, attract new partners and stakeholders, and personal interest in the PSE. Conclusions and Implications: The results provide insight into potential barriers and motivators for adopting physical activity education and PSEs within community-based initiatives and can be used to inform program planning and staff training. Additional research is warranted to examine other factors influencing the adoption and implementation of physical activity programs and PSEs.

Food insecurity, which disproportionately impacts mothers, can have chronic consequences on physical and mental health. There is a relationship between food insecurity and mental health, but the relationship’s mechanisms are unclear. This study aimed to understand how mental health outcomes differ by food insecurity severity and race among Virginia mothers. A cross-sectional survey employed previously validated food security status measures, physical and mental health, social support, and food coping strategies. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman’s rank-order correlations, linear regression, and chi-squared with effect sizes. Overall, respondents (n = 1029) reported worse mental health than the U.S. average (44.3 ± 10.1 and 50, respectively). There was a large effect of food security on mental health (d = 0.6), with worse mental health outcomes for mothers experiencing very low food security (VLFS) than low food security (LFS; p < 0.001). There was a small effect of race on mental health (φc = 0.02), with Black mothers having better mental health than White mothers (p < 0.001). Compared to mothers experiencing LFS, mothers experiencing VLFS had less social support (d = 0.5) and used more food coping strategies, especially financial strategies (d = −1.5; p < 0.001). This study suggests that food-insecure mothers experience stressors and lack adequate social support, which is even more distinct for mothers experiencing VLFS.

The purpose of this communication is to describe the preliminary evaluation of the Virginia Fresh Match (VFM) financial incentive program for fresh fruits and vegetables for Virginia Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program shoppers and to determine if there were differences in incentive outcomes by race. In this cross-sectional study, a questionnaire was administered to shoppers using Virginia Fresh Match incentives at participating farmers markets and community-based food retail outlets. Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to detect differences in fruit and vegetable consumption between demographic groups over time. Chi-square tests were used to determine if there were associations between race and perceived impact of VFM incentives on making food last and the attribution of VFM incentives to changes in fruit and vegetable consumption frequency. Frequency of fruit and vegetable intake was significantly higher during VFM incentive use, with a difference of 1.17 ± 0.07 and 1.07 ± 0.07 on a Likert scale measure, respectively (p ≤ 0.001). There were racial differences in assertions that VFM incentives helped food to last. VFM incentives were effective at increasing fruit and vegetable consumption, but racial differences should be considered in the administration of VFM to avoid reinforcing systems or approaches that may contribute to disparities in food access and food security.

As of 2021, 38.3 million people lived in food-insecure households in the United States (USDA, 2021c). Nutrition-related health inequities may be exacerbated by limited consumer access to nutrient-dense foods (Ver Ploeg, M., et. al., 2009). Farmers’ markets (FMs) give consumers direct access to locally-grown produce, as well as meats, eggs, and dairy products directly to consumers (Wetherill, M. S., & Gray, K. A. 2015). However, farmers’ markets are not utilized equally by all demographic groups. When markets use electronic benefits transfer (EBT) for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits, and the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program, increased marketing targeting low-income and minority consumers can connect these populations to affordable produce. (Wetherill, M. S., & Gray, K. A. 2015). There are limited research studies involving equitable communications through farmers’ markets, particularly in Virginia. Through this project, a farmers’ market communication guide for SNAP-eligible audiences was created to help facilitate farmers’ market managers and/or other farmers’ market outreach coordinators in developing inclusive messages for SNAP-eligible populations through communications, advertisements, and other outreach strategies.