Bortolin Natalia, Priestly Jaqueline, Sangster Janice
Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.
Aust J Rural Health. 2018 Apr;26(2):86-92. doi: 10.1111/ajr.12398. Epub 2017 Nov 13.
Food insecurity affects 4-14% of Australians, and up to 82% of vulnerable groups. Food relief agencies commonly provide food parcels or food vouchers. Little research has been undertaken on food relief agencies within rural Australia. This study determined the type of food assistance provided by rural food relief agencies, and barriers and enablers to provide healthy food.
Cross-sectional study, using telephone questionnaires with qualitative and quantitative aspects. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.
Rural New South Wales, Australia.
Representatives of 10 food relief agencies.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Types of food assistance and food provided, and the barriers and enablers to provide healthy food to clients.
Most agencies provided food hampers and perishable and non-perishable food. Rural food relief agencies had a greater capacity to provide non-perishable compared to perishable food. Grains, breads and cereals, and canned fruit and vegetables were most popular. Nine key themes emerged including 'Ability to purchase and provide healthy food', 'Ability to regulate food purchased or chosen by clients', 'Financial constraints of the agency' and 'Lack of storage'.
There are many variables to consider in order to understand the capacity of rural food relief agencies to provide healthy food. There are also opportunities for food relief agencies to appraise current practices and make changes. Initiatives to improve storage facilities and food availability are key and include networking with local businesses, community organisations and government. Rural food relief agency clients could benefit from accessing food literacy and health programs like FoodREDi, OzHarvest NEST and SecondBite Fresh NED.
粮食不安全影响着4%至14%的澳大利亚人，弱势群体中这一比例高达82%。食品救济机构通常提供食品包裹或食品券。澳大利亚农村地区食品救济机构的相关研究较少。本研究确定了农村食品救济机构提供的食品援助类型，以及提供健康食品的障碍和促进因素。
横断面研究，采用包含定性和定量方面的电话调查问卷。数据采用描述性统计和主题分析进行分析。
澳大利亚新南威尔士州农村地区。
10家食品救济机构的代表。
食品援助和提供的食品类型，以及向客户提供健康食品的障碍和促进因素。
大多数机构提供食品篮以及易腐和不易腐食品。与易腐食品相比，农村食品救济机构提供不易腐食品的能力更强。谷物、面包和谷类食品以及罐装水果和蔬菜最受欢迎。出现了九个关键主题，包括“购买和提供健康食品的能力”、“对客户购买或选择的食品进行监管的能力”、“机构的资金限制”和“缺乏储存空间”。
为了解农村食品救济机构提供健康食品的能力，需要考虑许多变量。食品救济机构也有机会评估当前做法并做出改变。改善储存设施和食品供应的举措至关重要，包括与当地企业、社区组织和政府建立联系。农村食品救济机构的客户可以从参与FoodREDi、OzHarvest NEST和SecondBite Fresh NED等食品素养和健康项目中受益。
