Older adults and those living in rural areas face unique challenges to health and food security which were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examine the interrelationships among food security, physical health, and loneliness among rural older adults before the onset of and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from a cross-sectional household survey of older adults in rural Indiana, administered May 2020 through July 2020, our results show a higher prevalence of food insecurity, poorer physical health, and increased loneliness after the onset of the pandemic. Path analyses confirmed the interrelationship between food security, health, and the absence of loneliness before and after the onset of COVID-19. Loneliness emerged as a major pathway through which the pandemic impacted quality of life, particularly affecting older women and physical health. Policy initiatives should consider the unique experiences and challenges associated with rural life among older adults and create food security initiatives that incorporate socialization while also considering the challenges associated with poor physical health in older age. Furthermore, our analysis shows that those who are vulnerable to food security, poor health, and loneliness in the absence of a global pandemic remain vulnerable during a pandemic.

The aim of this study was to assess whether household food insecurity is associated with delayed or early menarche among girls in the United States. Thirty-six dyadic household interviews were conducted with mothers and adolescent girls. The interviews included a socio-demographic survey, the USDA Six-Item Short Form Household Food Security Survey Module, anthropometric measurements, and the self-administered Youth-Adolescent Food Frequency Questionnaire. Using non-parametric quantitative analyses, we examined the associations among food insecurity, anthropometrics, diet, and age at menarche. Cox Proportional Hazards Models were used to evaluate the odds of menarche based on household food insecurity. Food insecurity significantly predicted earlier time to menarche. Food insecure girls were 4.38 times more likely to experience menarche at earlier ages when compared to food secure girls (HR = 4.38, p = .04). Furthermore, the hazard of menarche increased by 25% for each unit increase in food insecurity (OR = 1.253, p = .027). The findings suggest that household food insecurity is associated with earlier ages of menarche among girls in this sample. Early menarche has been associated with adult chronic disease risk. Thus, these findings propose that food security initiatives may be used to reduce the prevalence and health consequences of early-onset puberty.

Research shows that youth participating in engaged agricultural learning gain important practical skills and knowledge. The physicality, setting, and social aspects of agricultural and horticultural projects are opportune for improving mental, emotional, and social well-being—yet the psychosocial and meta­cognitive impacts of agricultural learning are still unclear. This study examines psychosocial impacts among youth participants, ages 13–17, in the Felege Hiywot Center’s 2023 STEAM (science, technology, engineering, agriculture, and math) Farm Camp. The Farm Camp combines hands-on urban agriculture with employable skills training while addressing food insecurity in an urban neigh­borhood with limited access to affordable and nutritious foods. During the camp, students design and maintain garden plots where they grow food, prepare shared meals, and participate in integrative science projects. Using a mix of quantitative and qualitative data collected from surveys and facili­tated journaling, we explored the positive psycho­social and metacognitive impacts of camp partici­pation. We found gardening instilled positive feelings and was perceived as a source of stress relief and accomplishment among participants. Teens also gained social support through the devel­opment of friendships and mentorships. Further­more, their participation in the program was asso­ciated with metacognitive skills development, including self-awareness and reflection. This case study provides a compelling example of how to engage youth from an underserved area in sustain­able urban agriculture while fostering metacogni­tive skills development and positive psychosocial experiences. We conclude that urban youth agricul­tural learning programs have valuable impacts on participants that go beyond agricultural education and the achievement of practical skills. These find­ings—which highlight the potential to contribute to psychosocial well-being, social support, and metacognitive abilities associated with maturation and personal development—may be particularly useful for other programs addressing at-risk and vulnerable youth.

Producers in the U.S., particularly small-scale farmers and specialty crop growers, are unable to maintain their livelihoods with farming alone. This issue is convoluted by low farm gate prices stemming from the unequal distribution of market share and political support within the U.S. food supply chain. As a result, many farm activists and scholars have recommended a revitalization of parity pricing within U.S. policy. Parity pricing once served to set price floors considered to represent “fair” farm gate prices determined by the farm gate price and purchasing power of commodities during the parity period of 1910–1914. In this paper, we evaluate whether parity did exist during the set period of 1910–1914, showing farm incomes and non-farm incomes were not significantly different from one another during the parity period. We then explore the extent to which parity prices correspond to farm-gate prices, transfer terminal prices, and retail prices for a select group of twelve specialty crops. We show that farm gate prices are significantly lower than parity prices, do not necessarily translate into low prices for consumers, and do not consistently correlate with production costs. Lastly, we display the temporal correspondence between the end of parity pricing and declines in farm income. Our analysis contributes important evidence of the inequalities within production, payment, and pricing structures of specialty crops in the U.S. As such, we provide a critique of parity pricing arguing that parity pricing alone will not be sufficient to solve the complex and deeply rooted issues underpinning low farm gate prices and injustices within the U.S. food system. We conclude with a discussion of the impacts of low farm gate prices and areas for policy interventions.