Food Insecurity in the Flagship City: Access to Food in the 16501 Zip Code

open_access
Open Access
Author:
Diplacido, Sophia
Area of Honors:
Psychology
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Melanie D. Hetzel-Riggin, Thesis Supervisor
Shariffah Rahah Sheik Dawood, Thesis Honors Advisor
Michael Rutter, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
food insecurity
mixed method research
reflexive thematic analysis
food systems
case study
Abstract:
Food insecurity is one of the most pressing global health crises of the 21st century. A plethora of research has been dedicated to understanding the overarching mechanisms of the determinants and impacts of food insecurity. While food insecurity is reported and studied thoroughly at the national and state level, there is little data regarding food insecurity at the zip code level. Additionally, there is limited research that evaluates the lived experiences of individuals experiencing hunger. The current study aimed to give insight into the emotions and experiences of those living with food insecurity in the 16501 zip code in Erie, PA, which was previously named one of the poorest zip codes in the state according to census data. This research aims to answer the following questions: 1) What are the psychological impacts of food insecurity within the 16501 zip code? 2) What coping strategies and community resources do people utilize to access food and what is their perceived effectiveness? 3) How have the social, economic, and physical changes to the 16501 zip code changed food access in the area? These questions were evaluated through a mixed method survey distributed throughout the 16501 zip code. The results generally aligned with prior findings, but did yield some novel results regarding community-based resources and offered a new depth of experience food insecurity at an individual level.