Cason, I MPH Essay 2023

Title Page

  • Title: Food Insecurity in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: An Evaluation of Just Harvest’s Community Interventions

  • Author: Isaac Bernard Cason

  • Degree: Bachelor of Science, Wittenberg University, 2016

  • Submission Date: April 25, 2023

  • Institution: University of Pittsburgh, School of Public Health

  • Degree Requirement: Master of Public Health

Committee Page

  • Submitted By: Isaac Bernard Cason, April 25, 2023

  • Essay Advisor/Reader: James E. Egan, MPH, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, Behavioral and Community Health Sciences)

  • Essay Reader: Emma Barinas-Mitchell, Ph.D. (Associate Professor, Epidemiology)

Abstract

  • Key Points of the Study:

    • Food insecurity is a significant social determinant of health in the U.S.

    • Impacts low-income and minoritized communities disproportionately.

    • Evaluates Just Harvest’s community interventions providing fresh food access in Pittsburgh.

    • Analyzed food access levels in four neighborhoods: examined from 2014 (pre-intervention) to 2020 (post-intervention).

    • Interventions included Fresh Access and Fresh Corners.

    • Findings indicate improved Food Abundance Index scores in neighborhoods with interventions compared to those without, indicating further work is needed to enhance food access.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction

  2. Background

    • 2.1 Food Apartheid in Allegheny County

    • 2.2 Transportation

    • 2.3 Previous Interventions

    • 2.4 Fresh Corners Project

  3. Methods

  4. Results

    • 4.1 Neighborhood comparisons

    • 4.2 Community mapping

  5. Discussion

    • 5.1 Recommendations

    • 5.2 Limitations

  6. Appendices

  7. Bibliography

Introduction

  • Food Insecurity: Disproportionately affects low-income and minoritized neighborhoods.

  • Causative Factors: Limited supermarket access, high concentration of fast-food retailers.

  • Health Outcomes: Poor access linked to increased risk for various diseases (e.g., heart disease, diabetes).

  • Systems of Food Insecurity: Manifest in the form of food deserts, lack of culturally appropriate foods, and disrupted eating habits.

  • Transportation: Critical for access; non-vehicular residents face significant challenges.

  • Evaluation Aim: Examine historical context and impact of interventions on food-insecure neighborhoods in Pittsburgh.

Background

  • Low-Supermarket Access (LSA): Pittsburgh severely impacted with 47% living in LSA areas as of 2012.

  • Challenges: Geography, infrastructure inadequacies, and the economic downward trends exacerbate food access problems.

  • Just Harvest Initiatives: Address food insecurity through community-level reports and solutions.

  • Food Apartheid: Illustrates systemic barriers impacting access to nutritious and culturally relevant foods, emphasizing a need for food justice.

Food Apartheid in Allegheny County

  • Disparities: Direct correlation between race, ethnicity, and food insecurity predictors.

  • Redlining and Gentrification: Historical practices contributing to food access deficiencies.

Transportation

  • Impact of Lack of Transport: Limited vehicle ownership among low-income groups, making access to food stores difficult.

  • Public Transport Inadequacies: Need for equitable public transit systems.

Previous Interventions

  • Legislative Initiatives: Programs like SNAP, WIC, and the Farm Bill aimed at enhancing food access.

  • Just Harvest’s Role: Community-driven interventions focusing on sustainable food access.

Methods

  • Neighborhood Selection: Evaluated four neighborhoods including their demographics and reported Food Abundance Index (FAI) statuses.

  • Data Sources: Combined Census data and community assessments pre-and post-intervention to analyze impacts.

Results

  • FAI Changes: Reported shifts in FAI scores reflecting the impact of Just Harvest’s interventions (e.g., McKees Rocks improved from Food Gap to Food Cluster).

Discussion

  • Implications of Findings: Higher FAI scores in neighborhoods with interventions suggest positive outcomes but highlight ongoing disparities in areas without support (e.g., Perry South).

  • Recommendations: Call for enhanced organizational collaboration, increased community engagement, and improved government policy for sustaining food access initiatives.

  • Limitations: Variability in data and evaluation sources, potential biases, and challenges due to external confounding factors like COVID-19 pandemic's impact.