2024 | Flash Funding | Growing Healthy Bodies and Minds: Supporting the Well-Being of Food Insecure Adolescents in Southwest Virginia
FLASH FUNDED PROJECT | Whole Health Consortium
Growing Healthy Bodies and Minds: Supporting the Well-Being of Food Insecure Adolescents in Southwest Virginia
TEAM:
- Heather Davis, Psychology
- Rosanna Breaux, Psychology
- Sam Margherio, Psychology
- Tab DeHart, Child Study Center, VT
- Joanna Pitts, Virginia Department of Health
This proposal represents a collaboration between researchers at Virginia Tech (VT) and the Virginia Department of Health, Division of Child and Family Health, aiming to enhance resources to mitigate food insecurity, promote healthy eating, and improve the mental health and overall wellbeing of adolescents in Virginia, starting with Southwest Virginia. The short-term goal is to develop a plan for pilot data collection and an external funding proposal to support school-based cooking classes that provide education on food resource management and mental health support to adolescent students experiencing food insecurity. These efforts are designed to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of community adolescents, aligning with the Whole Health Consortium’s mission.
Food insecurity among children in the U.S. is increasing, particularly in Southwest Virginia, where the prevalence is higher than the state average. Children experiencing food insecurity are more likely to face mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and disordered eating. The proposed project aims to address this by offering community cooking classes through partnerships with school nurses, to enhance cooking confidence, build social connections, and improve food security and mental health. By engaging community advisory boards and conducting needs assessments, the project will refine its strategies, develop focus group questions, and identify funding mechanisms for larger-scale studies. Collaborating with local farms to pilot the program in schools, the project aims to disseminate psychoeducation about mental health and provide accessible resources for food insecure youth.