Enduring Effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Food Access, Nutrition, and Well-Being in Rural Appalachia

Bibliographic Data

ID15500148
AuthorsKathryn Cardarelli (0000-0001-6695-7671, University of Kentucky, corresponding author), Kathryn M Cardarelli (University of Kentucky), Emily DeWitt (0000-0003-2018-5922, University of Kentucky), Rachel Gillespie (0000-0001-7453-6092, University of Kentucky), Nathan Bandy (University of Kentucky), Heather Norman‐Burgdolf (0000-0002-2444-6491, University of Kentucky)
Year2024
Volume21
Issue5
Pages594-594
Publication date2024-05-04
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
PublisherMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph21050594
PMID38791807
OpenAlexW4396666455
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited32

The COVID-19 pandemic produced acute effects on health inequities, yet more enduring impacts in vulnerable populations in rural Appalachia are understudied. This qualitative study included three focus groups with thirty-nine adults (74% female, mean age 52.7 years) to obtain perspectives on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on well-being in Martin County, Kentucky, in fall 2022. Grounded Theory was employed using an iterative inductive-deductive approach to capture the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on health practices and status. Three prominent themes emerged: (1) increased social isolation; (2) household cost of living strains caused by inflation; and (3) higher food prices and diminished food availability causing shifts in food purchasing and consumption. Participants noted that the rising cost of living resulted in residents having to "choose between medication, food and utilities". Increased food prices resulted in residents "stretching" their food, modifying how they grocery shopped, and limiting meat consumption. Persistent food shortages were exacerbated by there being few grocery stores in the county. Lastly, increased social isolation was profoundly articulated as widely impacting mental health, especially among youth. Our findings underscore the ongoing deleterious effects of inflation and food supply chain disruptions in this rural, geographically isolated community, which resulted in difficult spending choices for residents

Agriculture · Appalachia · Business · Consumption (sociology · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Disease · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental health · Focus group · Food security · Geography · Pandemic · Qualitative research · Social distance · Social isolation · Socioeconomics · Sociology · COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations · Homelessness and Social Issues · Medicine · Gerontology · Marketing

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