Perceived Benefits and Barriers to Free Summer Meal Participation Among Parents in New York City.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
Objective
To examine perceived benefits and barriers of summer meal participation among lower-income families who participate in school lunch programs during the year.Design
Semistructured phone interviews were conducted with parents of elementary-aged children, including both participants and nonparticipants in summer meals.Setting
Queens, Bronx, and Brooklyn, NY.Participants
Participants were lower-income, racially/ethnically diverse parents of elementary-aged children. Of 20 participants, 17 were minorities (85%), 16 were women (80%), and 11 had an annual household income < $30,000 (55%).Phenomenon of interest
Interviews explored parents' experiences with summer meals programs, the impact on food provisioning in the summer, and benefits and barriers.Analysis
Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed thematically.Results
Five themes emerged, including 3 benefits of summer meals: reducing stress for parents, fostering social support and connection, and the opportunity to develop healthier eating habits; and 2 barriers to participation: lack of cultural inclusivity and lack of widespread knowledge about summer meals.Conclusions and implications
The main purpose of summer meals is to reduce food insecurity, but the programs also provide social and psychological benefits valued by lower-income families in New York, although participation barriers persist.Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Kannam, A; Wilson, NLW; Chomitz, VR; Ladin, K
Published Date
- September 2019
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 51 / 8
Start / End Page
- 976 - 984
PubMed ID
- 31186210
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1878-2620
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 1499-4046
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1016/j.jneb.2019.05.592
Language
- eng