Strategies to reduce food waste in school lunch should be researched and implemented.

The number of farmers' markets in the United States continues to grow, suggesting an increasing interest in community food systems. Yet, little conclusive research has been conducted to characterize farmers' market customers. The purpose of this literature review is to more definitively examine the current farmers' market consumer base established in published research studies. We explore demographic factors as well as motivations and barriers for farmers' markets shoppers. Based on current research, it is clear that an assortment of complex and interrelated factors influence an individual's choice to shop at farmers' markets and that a more consistent data gathering method is needed. A food system encompasses all people and processes related to food, including agricultural production, processing, packaging, distribution, marketing, consumption, and disposal. 1 In an effort to rethink the modern configuration (ie, conventional agriculture), a growing number of individuals are engaging in more localized and community-based food systems (or what is often referred to as a foodshed) in lieu of a larger, more industrialized

IntroductionResidents of rural communities in the United States are at higher risk for obesity than their urban and suburban counterparts. Policy and environmental-change strategies supporting healthier dietary intake can prevent obesity and promote health equity. Evidence in support of these strategies is based largely on urban and suburban studies; little is known about use of these strategies in rural communities. The purpose of this review was to synthesize available evidence on the adaptation, implementation, and effectiveness of policy and environmental obesity-prevention strategies in rural settings.MethodsThe review was guided by a list of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Recommended Community Strategies and Measurements to Prevent Obesity in the United States, commonly known as the “COCOMO” strategies. We searched PubMed, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Public Affairs Information Service, and Cochrane databases for articles published from 2002 through 2013 that reported findings from research on nutrition-related policy and environmental strategies in rural communities in the United States and Canada. Two researchers independently abstracted data from each article, and resolved discrepancies by consensus.ResultsOf the 663 articles retrieved, 33 met inclusion criteria. The interventions most commonly focused on increasing access to more nutritious foods and beverages or decreasing access to less nutritious options. Rural adaptations included accommodating distance to food sources, tailoring to local food cultures, and building community partnerships.ConclusionsFindings from this literature review provide guidance on adapting and implementing policy and environmental strategies in rural communities.

BackgroundPolicies that improve access to healthy, affordable foods may improve population health and reduce health disparities. In the United States most food access policy research focuses on urban communities even though residents of rural communities face disproportionately higher risk for nutrition-related chronic diseases compared to residents of urban communities. The purpose of this study was to (1) identify the factors associated with access to healthy, affordable food in rural communities in the United States; and (2) prioritize a meaningful and feasible rural food policy research agenda.MethodsThis study was conducted by the Rural Food Access Workgroup (RFAWG), a workgroup facilitated by the Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network. A national sample of academic and non-academic researchers, public health and cooperative extension practitioners, and other experts who focus on rural food access and economic development was invited to complete a concept mapping process that included brainstorming the factors that are associated with rural food access, sorting and organizing the factors into similar domains, and rating the importance of policies and research to address these factors. As a last step, RFAWG members convened to interpret the data and establish research recommendations.ResultsSeventy-five participants in the brainstorming exercise represented the following sectors: non-extension research (n = 27), non-extension program administration (n = 18), “other” (n = 14), policy advocacy (n = 10), and cooperative extension service (n = 6). The brainstorming exercise generated 90 distinct statements about factors associated with rural food access in the United States; these were sorted into 5 clusters. Go Zones were established for the factors that were rated highly as both a priority policy target and a priority for research. The highest ranked policy and research priorities include strategies designed to build economic viability in rural communities, improve access to federal food and nutrition assistance programs, improve food retail systems, and increase the personal food production capacity of rural residents. Respondents also prioritized the development of valid and reliable research methodologies to measure variables associated with rural food access.ConclusionsThis collaborative, trans-disciplinary, participatory process, created a map to guide and prioritize research about polices to improve healthy, affordable food access in rural communities.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans dictates the federal nutrition programs, policies, and recommendations of the United States. Corresponding nutrition guides have been established to help educate the public about the dietary intake patterns recommended in these guidelines as well as to ameliorate the US obesity epidemic and its health-related outcomes. The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize population adherence to and knowledge of these guiding US nutrition guides issued since 1992, including the Food Guide Pyramid, MyPyramid, and MyPlate. Of the 31 studies included in the review, 22 examined adherence, 6 examined knowledge, and 3 examined both adherence and knowledge. Across studies, adherence to nutrition guides was low, with participants consuming inadequate levels of fruit, vegetables, and dairy in particular. Knowledge of nutrition guides increased over time since publication and decreased with age of the participants. An association between knowledge of and adherence to nutrition guides was not found. Disparities in knowledge and adherence existed across demographic groups. Based on these findings, it is suggested that federal dietary guidance can be strengthened by increasing dissemination of nutrition guides to the public and tailoring promotional activities to specific demographic and socioeconomic groups.