Browsing by Author "Chen, Susan"

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    Examining Contributors and Solutions to Prevent and Manage Food Waste in Households with Low Incomes and the Emergency Food System within the U.S.
    Chen, Susan (Virginia Tech, 2021-08-25)
    In the United States (U.S.), up to 40% of the entire food supply is lost or wasted, which contributes to negative environmental, economic, and social outcomes, with the majority of food waste occurring in the retail and consumer sectors of the food supply chain. Concurrently, 10.5% of U.S. households experienced food insecurity in 2019. Food insecurity rates are higher among individuals with low income and disproportionately affects ethically and racially diverse people living in poverty. Diverting excess food from retail and institutional settings to people in need is one method to reduce food waste and enhance individual, household, and community food security. This PhD dissertation describes four studies that explored food waste management in the U.S. among households with low-income and within U.S. food pantries, which are a critical component of the emergency food system. Study 1 consisted of a systematic review that examined differences in food waste attitudes and practices among consumers of across income levels. Study 2 was a quantitative research methods approach to examine food waste attitudes and practices of SNAP-eligible households (n=17). Study 3 was a cross-sectional quantitative approach to examine the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on food waste management within U.S. food pantries (n=290). Study 4 assessed the feasibility of food pantries in Virginia (n=68) to implement marketing-mix and choice-architecture (MMCA) strategies within their food pantries given the changes they had to make in their food distribution models in response to COVID-19 physical distancing requirements. Collectively, the studies described in this PhD dissertation address knowledge gaps and may be used to inform policies and initiatives to increase food security and decrease food waste among households with low-income and organizations aimed at serving them.
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    Exploring Food Waste at a Residential Youth Summer Camp: A Mixed-Methods Approach
    Chen, Susan (Virginia Tech, 2018-06-26)
    Up to 40% of all edible food is wasted in the United States (U.S.) and a large proportion represents consumer waste. Research on food waste is in its infancy, particularly as it relates to youth. Summer camps offer a unique setting for food-based education, with the opportunity to reach large numbers of youth. This MS thesis describes a study that used a mixed-methods research approach to explore three objectives: 1) assess food waste in a residential 4-H youth summer camp setting; 2) determine if an educational program delivered to youth ages 9-13 years, would reduce food waste; and 3) understand stakeholders' views about the benefits and barriers to food waste reduction programs in the camp setting. The research team and camp staff developed and adapted food waste activities based on the Experiential Learning Model. Participants attended one of four weekly sessions to raise their awareness about food waste. Consumer and production food waste from three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) was collected over a 24-hour cycle and weighed before and after each weekly program to determine total amount of food wasted (pounds) during each week, average waste/child (pounds), and waste/meal (percentage). Waste was collected using the direct weighing method. Paired t-tests were used to assess differences. Stakeholder interviews (n=6) were conducted with Extension Agents, camp program directors, and camp staffers involved with the program. Inductive thematic analysis was used to determine themes and subthemes. This cross-sectional study included 864 residential campers. Over the course of the four weeks, the cafeteria produced a total amount of 3,182 lbs of food of which, 996.6 lb (30.4%) was wasted. Total consumer waste for all four weeks before and after the intervention was 76.5 lbs and 57.3 lbs, respectively. Although a decrease in consumer food waste was observed, results were not statistically significant (p>0.05). Total production waste decreased from 441.5 lbs before to 390.6 lb after the intervention. Production waste, in relation to the number of servings prepared, also decreased throughout the course of the four weeks. The main themes from the stakeholder interviews emphasized the need for a food waste curriculum and adequate resources to build and sustain the capacity of the education program.The limitations of this study included different menu items served throughout the four weeks, lack of randomization, and limited sample size of camps (n=4). This was the first food waste study conducted at a youth summer camp, which showed that food waste reduction and behavior change among campers are possible within a short time period. Further research is warranted to minimize food waste in broader contexts and in other camp settings.
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    Projecting Food Insecurity in Southwest Virginia
    Hamilton, Nicholas; Jones, Mia; Gard, Emily; Zimmerman, Piper; Chen, Susan; Cary, Michael; Kaufman, Eric K. (2024-07-25)
    Food insecurity is a socioeconomic condition in which a household does not have access to enough nutritious food to sustain a healthy lifestyle for all its members. In Virginia, food insecurity rates are highest in the southwest region of the state. This project aims to support food banks, including Feeding Southwest Virginia, by simulating food insecurity rates through 2027 in Southwest Virginia. Drawing from the literature on food insecurity, we selected relevant variables related to food insecurity from the American Community Survey and Bureau of Labor Statistics data. These variables were then forecasted at the county level using a time series forecasting model. The historical data was used to train a machine learning model which utilizes these factors to predict food insecurity rates. The forecasted data was then fed into the machine learning model to create projected food insecurity rates across Southwest Virginia. In addition to projecting food insecurity rates, we simulated future scenarios by altering the values for key factors individually. We displayed these findings on an online interactive map that allows the user to compare the food insecurity rates for each county or city by year and see the changes between years. The user can also see the locations of farmers markets, grocery and dollar stores, and food distribution centers in the area to consider their potential impact. This map will serve as a tool for Feeding Southwest Virginia in determining their resource allocation and to demonstrate the need for more aid in particular areas.
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    Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-authorized retailers received a low score using the Business Impact Assessment for Obesity and population-level nutrition (BIA-Obesity) tool
    Houghtaling, Bailey; Englund, Tessa; Chen, Susan; Pradhananga, Nila; Kraak, Vivica; Serrano, Elena L.; Harden, Samantha M.; Davis, George C.; Misyak, Sarah A. (2022-06-20)
    Background The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) supports Americans with lower income to purchase dietary products at authorized retailers. This research aimed to evaluate SNAP-authorized retailers’ public commitments in support of nutrition security and to examine differences between traditional grocers and nontraditional (e.g., convenience, drug, dollar) SNAP-authorized retailers’ public commitments. Methods Prominent United States (U.S.) SNAP-authorized retailers nationally and in two U.S. states (California and Virginia) were identified based on number of store locations (n = 61). Public information available in grey literature were reviewed and scored using the Business Impact Assessment for Obesity and population-level nutrition (BIA-Obesity) tool. SNAP-authorized retailers were classified as traditional (e.g., grocery) or nontraditional (e.g., non-grocery) retailers. Total BIA-Obesity from 0 to 615, representing low to optimal support) and category scores were calculated for corporate strategy, relationships with external organizations, product formulation, nutrition labeling, product and brand promotion, and product accessibility. Descriptive statistics were used to describe BIA-Obesity scores overall and by category. Mann–Whitney U was used to test for potential differences in median BIA-Obesity total scores between traditional and nontraditional SNAP-authorized retailers (a priori, p < 0.05). Results Average total BIA-Obesity scores for SNAP-authorized retailers ranged from 0 to 112 (16.5 ± 23.3). Total BIA-Obesity scores for traditional SNAP-authorized retailers (32.7 ± 33.6; median 25) were higher than nontraditional SNAP-authorized retailer scores (11.2 ± 16; median 5) (p = 0.008). For BIA-Obesity categories, average scores were highest for the category relationships with external organizations (8.3 ± 10.3) and lowest for promotion practices (0.6 ± 2.1). Conclusions Results of this research underscore a dearth of available evidence and substantial opportunity for improvement regarding SNAP-authorized retailer strategies to support nutrition security among Americans with lower income.
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    Two Essays Analyzing the Behavioral Economics Underlying Health Decisions: Delay Discounting and Crowding Out Effect
    Woo, Yuri (Virginia Tech, 2018-06-08)
    This thesis is composed of two essays that study behavioral economics to motivate health-promoting behaviors. The first paper, "Does Nutrition Education Reduce Delay Discounting?," studies delay discounting, or delayed gratification, which is an important research topic because it plays a role in producing numerous health outcomes, such as obesity. It is important to understand how the delay discounting process relates to unhealthy diets. People who discount the value of future outcomes prefer immediate rewards (e.g., enjoyment/taste) even though a larger reward from delaying exists (e.g., good health status). In this paper, we aim to provide evidence over whether nutrition education reduces delay discounting. Our analysis, therefore, provides guidance for designing more effective interventions to help increase overall health. The second paper, "Are We Reaching Those Most In Need?: Motivation Profiles and Willingness-to-Participate," explores the potentially negative psychological spillover effects (i.e., "crowding out" effects), which can complicate incentives' effectiveness because it can make targeted behavior (i.e., the aim to improve one's health) less desirable. To understand this "crowding out" effect, our paper examines how different types of motivations (i.e., intrinsic and extrinsic motivations) influence people's willingness-to-participate in a weight control program with and without incentives. This analysis provides further guidance for designing more effective interventions by considering different recruitment strategies to target different individuals, which can minimize the negative spillover of incentives.