Nutrients · 4 authors, 1 centre
This summary was generated by AI from a single paper. It has not been reviewed by a clinician and is not clinical advice. Verify against the source before acting on it.
This qualitative study interviewed 32 community stakeholders in Florida to identify their perceived barriers to improving food security for households with children aged 0–3 years before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The central result is that barriers varied by stakeholder sector and were exacerbated or newly introduced by the pandemic, indicating a need for coordinated policy and systems changes.
A qualitative study was conducted with 32 community stakeholders from five sectors (healthcare, community/policy, emergency food, early childhood education, nutrition education) in Florida. Semi-structured interviews, guided by the PRECEDE–PROCEED model, were conducted via Zoom in 2020 to explore perceived barriers to providing resources for food security among low-income families with children 0–3 years, including COVID-19 impacts. Thematic analysis identified pre-pandemic barriers specific to each sector: stigma for healthcare/nutrition educators, lack of time for policy developers, limited food access for emergency food personnel, and lack of transportation for early childhood professionals. Pandemic-related barriers included fear of virus exposure, new restrictions, lack of volunteers, and low interest in virtual programs. The study concludes that barriers vary by stakeholder type and were compounded by COVID-19, necessitating centralized, coordinated strategies. Limitations include potential lack of transferability to other settings, a predominantly female sample, and modest group sizes.
