Understanding the Rural Food Environment–Perspectives of Low-Income Parents

This article focuses on the food environment and food shopping habits of lower-income residents in rural Maine. Focus groups were conducted with lower-income parents of children enrolled in Medicaid/State Children’s Health Insurance Program in Maine to ask them about their food shopping habits, the barriers they faced when trying to obtain food, places where they More

Impact of Maine’s Statewide Nutrition Policy on High School Food Environments

This article examines the effects of Maine’s statewide nutrition policy banning “foods of minimal nutritional value” in public high schools (Chapter 51). The food environment of public high schools participating in federally funded meal programs was evaluated. Researchers found a significant decrease in availability of soda in student vending machines post-Chapter 51. No significant changes More

Investigating Access to Affordable Healthy Foods Among Rural Low-Income Children in Maine

The goal of this study is to examine how food environments influence rural childhood obesity rates and food choices, in order to ultimately help policymakers find effective rural policy interventions. Specifically, this research will investigate the community-based healthy food environment (defined as food access, cost and quality for healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, More

Impact of Maine’s State-Wide Rule on High School Nutrition Environments and Students’ Dietary Behaviors

Maine’s Chapter 51 rule represents one of the strongest current state-wide school nutrition standards in the country. Study aims: 1) examine effects of Chapter 51, on high school nutrition policies, environments and revenues and on high school student dietary behaviors; and 2) examine the influence of proximity and density of non-school food venues on high More