Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Nutrients. 2024 Mar 22;16(7):915. doi: 10.3390/nu16070915.
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed millions of Americans into food insecurity. Food policy councils (FPCs) across the country played a vital role in organizing coordinated food responses across multiple sectors. We used a social network analysis (SNA) approach to investigate: (1) the network of partnering organizations and agencies within FPCs; (2) how the characteristics of FPCs' network partnerships (i.e., degree, coreness, and density) related to programmatic, policy, and advocacy actions in response to the pandemic; and (3) how FPCs' use of a racial or social equity framework shifted their network partnerships and responses. Local government agencies and food supply chain actors were core in FPCs' network partnerships, while public utilities, correctional facilities, social justice groups, and others were non-core partners. Network density was more likely to be associated with any action by FPCs, and it was especially pronounced for advocacy actions taken by FPCs; trends were similar among FPCs that reported using a racial or social equity framework. The findings begin to uncover core actors in FPCs' partnerships and opportunities to establish new partnerships, particularly with social justice groups. The results also suggest that network density (interconnectedness) may be more important than other network characteristics when responding to food-related needs.
新冠疫情使数百万美国人陷入粮食不安全境地。全美各地的食品政策委员会（FPC）在组织跨部门协调食品应对方面发挥了至关重要的作用。我们采用社会网络分析（SNA）方法来研究：（1）FPC 内部合作组织和机构的网络；（2）FPC 网络伙伴关系的特征（即程度、核心和密度）如何与大流行应对的方案、政策和宣传行动相关；以及（3）FPC 对种族或社会公平框架的使用如何改变其网络伙伴关系和应对措施。地方政府机构和食品供应链参与者是 FPC 网络伙伴关系的核心，而公共事业、惩教设施、社会正义团体等则是非核心伙伴。网络密度更有可能与 FPC 采取的任何行动相关，尤其是 FPC 采取的宣传行动；在报告使用种族或社会公平框架的 FPC 中，趋势相似。这些发现开始揭示 FPC 伙伴关系中的核心参与者以及建立新伙伴关系的机会，特别是与社会正义团体建立伙伴关系的机会。研究结果还表明，在应对与粮食相关的需求时，网络密度（互联性）可能比其他网络特征更为重要。
