Honors Theses

Date of Award

Spring 4-23-2021

Document Type

Undergraduate Thesis

Department

Sociology and Anthropology

First Advisor

Anne Cafer

Second Advisor

Meagen Rosenthal

Third Advisor

John J. Green

Relational Format

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

This pilot study set out to assess food consumption measures within the Charleston FoodRx program. Assessments made through this investigation aim to improve the Charleston program as well as provide suggestions for future programs. Charleston FoodRx provides enrolled households with fruits and vegetables in a supply intended to last for two weeks. These goals combine social and pharmaceutical science, by addressing barriers in food environment and insecurity, nutritional health, and preventative treatment. Though the idea behind FoodRx has existed prior to recent pilot programs, research behind FoodRx and its possible integration within the healthcare system lack published and replicable research for program design and sustainability. One such potential facilitator of efficacy in FoodRx is a measurement tool for food consumption within participant households. The development of an instrument for measuring food consumption could help create a system of operations within FoodRx to maximize effectiveness of intervention and aid in recreating FoodRx in other locations.

This study focuses on the implementation of food measurement tools within the FoodRx program and recommendations deduced from the findings. First is the unreliability of a food journal within FoodRx. The 24-hour recall was more effective in measuring food consumption for various factors. From the data collected on consumption, significant patterns are seen. Findings from this study offer some insight and recommendations for the operationalization of FoodRx. Further research could expand on findings from measurement data to demonstrate the applicability of FoodRx within healthcare.

Accessibility Status

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Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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