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To obtain feedback from school nutrition stakeholders on an agent-based model simulating school lunch to inform model refinement and future applications. Qualitative study using online discussion groups. School nutrition professional stakeholders across the US. Twenty-eight school nutrition stakeholders. Perceptions and applicability of MealSim for school nutrition stakeholders to help reduce food waste. Deductive approach followed by inductive analysis of discussion group transcripts. Stakeholders appreciated the customizability of the cafeteria characteristics and suggested adding additional characteristics to best represent the school meal system, such as factors relating to school staff supervision of students during meals. The perceived utility of MealSim was high and included using it to train personnel and to advocate for policy and budgetary changes. However, they viewed MealSim as more representative of elementary than high schools. Stakeholders also provided suggestions for training school nutrition administrators on how to use MealSim and requested opportunities for technical assistance. Although agent-based models were new to the school nutrition stakeholders, MealSim was viewed as a useful tool. Application of these findings will allow the model to meet the intended audience's needs and better estimate the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identify psychosocial factors influencing food waste mitigation and explore motivations and strategies for successful conservation among self-identified food conservers. Mixed-methods study consisting of an online survey estimating food waste production and psychosocial factors and a focus group to explore waste mitigation strategies and motivations. Sampled 27 self-identified conservers (female, aged 18–30 years, White/Asian). Mean household food waste was 6.6 cups/wk (range, 0.0–97.9 cups/wk; median 1.3 cups). Reported waste mitigation strategies include proactive mitigation and adaptive recovery measures in each phase of the food management continuum. Conservers reported various intrinsic and extrinsic motivations to reduce food waste and viewed barriers as manageable. Food conservers act on high intentions to reduce waste by consistently employing both proactive waste mitigation and adaptive food recovery measures. Future research is needed to determine if these findings hold in larger, more diverse samples and link specific behaviors to waste volume. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identify types of food packaging used in school nutrition programs and competing priorities, barriers, and facilitators for sustainable packaging waste use and recovery. Qualitative interviews (n = 20) and structured kitchen observations were conducted. Data were collected from 3 school districts in Northern Colorado. Three nutrition program directors, 14 kitchen managers, and 3 sustainability staff. Barriers and facilitators for sustainable food packaging waste practices among school nutrition programs. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, followed by inductive content analysis to identify themes. Commonly used food packaging included cardboard, aluminum, paper, plastic, and styrofoam. Four competing priorities were identified as impacting school nutrition programs' ability to reduce or recover food packaging: serving line speed, labor, food quality, and cost. One key barrier was that school staff had difficulty understanding the total system impact of their food packaging use and recovery decisions. Food packaging is commonly used in school nutrition programs, and participants felt that its use offered key benefits, such as facilitating faster serving lines. More research is needed to quantify the direct and indirect impacts of packaging waste reduction and recovery in school nutrition programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, we assessed the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and community influences on nutrition knowledge, views on healthy foods, grocery store choice, and grocery shopping patterns specifically at Latino tiendas, among Midwestern adults by Hispanic or non-Hispanic ethnicity. Methods: We surveyed a convenience sample of adults on an open-ended definition of healthy foods, nutrition knowledge, shopping behaviors, and reasons for store choice. Results: Of the 149 respondents, no ethnic differences were observed in qualitative definitions of healthy foods (low fat, unprocessed, high nutrient content). Fewer Hispanics than non-Hispanics correctly identified healthier options for rice, canned fruits, and canned tuna. Respondents indicated that proximity to home and food price were motivators of store choice. Significantly more Hispanics than non-Hispanics shopped at Walmart (42% vs 15%; p < .001), and at tiendas (77% vs 14%; p < .001). Food selection was the most frequent reason given by all for shopping at tiendas. Conclusions: Hispanics and non-Hispanics share similar views of healthy food definitions and important store characteristics. Non-Hispanics could potentially use tiendas more frequently considering expressed interests in food prices and selection. Some healthier food options that are culturally important were less known by Hispanics. Further research with a larger sample is needed to substantiate these preliminary findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We determined relationships between food behaviors and health-risk factors by acculturation among limited-income Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women. Methods: Women aged 18-49 years were recruited from income-based programs in metro-Phoenix, Arizona. Self-administered surveys in English or Spanish included demographics, a 10-item food behavior checklist, health-risk factors, food security, and acculturation. Differences by 4 acculturation/ ethnicity categories were assessed with chi-square and analysis of variance (ANOVA). We created a food behavior scale. Results: Eighty-two percent self-identified as Hispanic (N = 358), with 45% Hispanic-dominant, 25% bicultural, 12% English-dominant, and 18% non-Hispanic white for acculturation status. Food behavior checklist results showed that English-dominant Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women were more likely to feed their children soon after waking, refrigerate meat/dairy promptly, not add salt to food, smoke cigarettes and be food insecure (p < .001). Education, not acculturation, was a significant predictor of the food behavior scale. BMI did not differ by acculturation, but 33% of Hispanic-dominant Latinas did not know their height and/or weight. These less acculturated Latinas had significantly greater food security, but lacked health insurance and years of education. Conclusions: Program outreach tailored by acculturation that considers educational level is needed to emphasize existing positive behaviors and address knowledge gaps among low socioeconomic women to improve health and reduce disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We determined knowledge of the health benefits of consuming beans, and assessed if awareness varied by acculturation status among Hispanic and non-Hispanic low-income women. Methods: We used a self-administered survey with Iowa women aged 18-65 years who were eligible to receive income-based services through 2 healthcare clinics, a WIC clinic, and Extension Outreach. Chi-square and ANOVA were used to compare bean health benefit knowledge, demographics, health-risk factors, nutrition information seeking, and self-efficacy by acculturation categories. Results: Of the 158 women who completed the survey, 58% were Hispanic, with a mean age of 36 years. In terms of acculturation, 24% were Hispanic-dominant, 30% bicultural, and 46% English dominant. Over 50% of all respondents did not know bean consumption lowered cholesterol, aided blood glucose control, or reduced some cancer risks. Responses for 5 of 7 knowledge statements differed significantly by acculturation. Hispanic-dominant and bicultural women reported significantly better health, higher bean consumption, and less cigarette smoking than English-dominant women. Bicultural and English-dominant women were more likely to use the Internet for nutrition information. Conclusions: There are knowledge gaps about the health benefits of bean consumption among low-income women. Nutrition education to improve their knowledge may lead to increased bean consumption, reducing health disparities and improving nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, about 30% of edible food produced is wasted, and 20% is wasted at the consumer level. Yet, an estimated 35% of Americans "put a lot of effort" into wasted food reduction, suggesting an opportunity to learn from these food conservers through positive deviance inquiry. The purpose of the study was to identify food conservation practices, psychosocial drivers, and unmet waste mitigation needs of self-identified food conservers. Adult, self-identified food conservers were recruited online and screened for criteria of age and food procurement/preparation responsibility. Eligible participants completed a 90-minute virtual focus group and survey consisting of previously validated questions assessing household food waste amounts, behaviors and attitudes. Verbatim focus group transcripts were dual coded and thematically analyzed using a hybrid inductive-deductive approach. A total of n = 27 participants completed the questionnaire and one of six focus groups consisting of 3-6 participants each. The majority of the participants were White (48%) or Asian (41%), female (67%), had a college degree (74%), had on average 2.6 members in their residence, and made above the US median household income (56%). Reported strategies to reduce food waste included meal planning, creating and adhering to shopping lists, food inventory management, anti-depth organization of food storage spaces to promote maximum visibility, meal prepping, cooking meals in the home and repurposing leftovers. Participants reported intentions to avoid waste, confidence in their ability to reduce waste, and personal and subjective norms that encourage mitigation efforts. Participants reported needing assistance determining optimal produce storage methods and desired opportunities to learn from other food conservers. Self-identified food conservers reported a variety of household food waste mitigation strategies, which could be leveraged to positively influence other households. While these findings suggest relatively high food literacy among self-identified food conservers, addressing their unmet needs may improve waste mitigation. USDA; UIUC Division of Nutritional Sciences Vision 20/20 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the MealSim study is to empower school nutrition directors with evidence-based strategies specific to their institution to improve student fruit and vegetable consumption while decreasing food waste through the development and evaluation of a school meal systems agent-based model simulation tool. The project aims to improve fruit and vegetable consumption and reduce food waste. Research activities will be conducted through two key objectives: Build an agent-based model (MealSim) to simulate dietary behavior in school meal systems and validate MealSim using data from school nutrition programs in collaboration with key stakeholders. Year three focused on analyzing qualitative data from key stakeholders who provided feedback on MealSim, identifying priorities for model adaptations based stakeholder input, and revising model validation procedures due to COVID-related changes to school nutrition programs. School nutrition stakeholders viewed the MealSim interface positively and reported several potential uses for the simulation tool, such as advocating for policy changes and various training/educational purposes. Stakeholders suggested that additional features be added to MealSim to better represent the school nutrition environment, such as more nuanced time use and number of staff supervising students during lunch. Lunch period structured observation protocols were revised to better differentiate between seated lunch time and other lunch period time uses, as requested by stakeholder feedback. Plate waste assessment protocols were modified to adapt to COVID-related changes and supply chain challenges to school nutrition programs. Adapting MealSim according to stakeholder feedback will facilitate trust in the tool and likely improve its utility. It is anticipated that MealSim will empower school nutrition stakeholders to make evidence-based decisions on how to modify their cafeteria operations to improve fruit and vegetable consumption and reduce food waste, ultimately resulting in improved public and planetary health. 2020-68015-30735 This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]