Food Insecurity, the Food Environment, and COVID-19 in Rural South Carolina.

In this study, we explored the relationship between the food environment and food security among rural adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers, with assistance from community partners, conducted a cross-sectional survey assessing the impact of COVID-19 on food access, food security, and physical activity in 9 rural South Carolina (SC) counties. This survey was administered to a purposive sample (N = 587) from August 2020 to March 2021.

Looking For Food: Food Access, Food Insecurity, and the Food Environment in Rural Mississippi.

Mississippi has the highest food insecurity rate in the nation, and while the overall pattern of food insecurity has declined in the United States, for Mississippians it has plateaued, remaining significantly higher than prerecession rates. In addition, the food environment of the state is characterized by low healthy food access, high persistent poverty, and a primarily rural landscape. This translational research seeks to bridge thinking on agriculture policy, nutrition, food access/food insecurity in seeking to understand the paradox between obesity and poverty in rural Mississippi.