Presenter(s): Ashley Easter—Family and Human Services
Faculty Mentor(s): Elizabeth Budd
Session 5.5: McNair Scholars Presentations
Fruit and vegetable (F/V) intake reduces the risk for chronic diseases . Research indicates rural communities have limited access to F/V . Unknown is how perceived availability of F/V and cost as barriers to healthy eating vary among rural residents . This study examined perceived availability of F/V and cost as barriers to healthy eating and how each varies by educational attainment and income among residents of a rural Oregon town . A total of 151 residents of a rural Oregon town completed an in-person survey (53 .1±16 .34 years; 63% female; 94% non-Hispanic white) . Respondents indicated the extent to which they agreed that F/V were available in their town and whether cost made healthy eating hard for them . Four Chi-Squared Tests were conducted to determine whether these responses were associated with educational attainment or annual household income . There was no association between educational attainment or income and respondents’ perceived availability of F/V within their town . Cost as a barrier to healthy eating varied significantly by respondents’ educational attainment (X2 (2, 150)= 7 .90, Cramer’s = 0 .23, p < 0 .05) and income (X2 (2, 147)= 25 .85, Cramer’s V= 0 .420, p < 0 .05); such that those with less education and lower incomes were more likely to report that cost was a barrier to healthy eating . Study findings highlight sub-groups (low-income, low-education) among rural Oregon residents who may be at higher risk for experiencing cost barriers to healthy eating, informing future chronic disease prevention interventions .