O45 Perceived Healthfulness of the Environment of Communities with Low Income by Community Stakeholders

Abstract

<h3>Background</h3> This is a continuation of a previous study assessing Extension nutrition educators' perceptions of the healthfulness of the environment of communities with low income. This next step in the study involved interviewing community stakeholders about their perceived barriers and facilitators to engaging in healthful behaviors in these communities. Understanding how key stakeholders perceive the environment is an important step to developing impactful interventions for populations with low income. <h3>Objective</h3> To determine community stakeholders' perceptions of the healthfulness of their environment in various states. <h3>Study Design, Setting, Participants</h3> Stakeholders (n = 30) working in communities with low income were interviewed in Kansas, Florida, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee and West Virginia. Trained researchers used a semi-structured script grounded in Social Cognitive Theory to determine barriers and facilitators related to the healthfulness of the community environment. <h3>Measurable Outcome/Analysis</h3> Audio recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by 2 researchers using inductive thematic analysis. <h3>Results</h3> Across all states, stakeholders described a healthy lifestyle as multidimensional, specifically reporting healthy eating and physical activity as key characteristics. Overall, stakeholders' perceived barriers to living a healthy lifestyle included limited availability of healthy and affordable foods, lack of knowledge of food preparation and basic nutrition, and community resistance to change as a result of pre-existing cultural beliefs as well as the absence of intrinsic motivation. Nevertheless, stakeholders indicated various facilitators. These included access to trustworthy and credible information from health professionals and government agencies, improved referral systems, and access to emergency food assistance. Finally, stakeholders reported increased access to affordable primary care and mental health services would improve quality of life for their entire community. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Community stakeholders across several states described similar barriers and facilitators to a healthy lifestyle for individuals with low income. Findings will inform the development of a questionnaire for community members to measure perceived healthfulness of the environments of communities with low income.