Resources Available To Inner-City Families- Access to Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are scarce in the inner city environment. In 2005, the department of health and mental hygiene in New York City resolved to make fruits and vegetables available to the city's residents. The focus was on low-income neighborhoods. The outcome of the initiative was increased fruit and vegetable intake evidencing the need for implementing similar projects. Sacks, Yi, and Nonas, 2015) notes that fruit and vegetable intake is linked to cultural preferences, social norms, affordability, and consumer demand.
The most affected people in the urban setup are low-income people. The inner city has low numbers of groceries that can meet the fresh fruit and vegetable demands of its population. Low-income dwellers are forced to get fruits and vegetables from corner stores (Gudzune, Welsh, Lane, Chissell, Steeves & Gittelsohn, 2015). The offers are expensive; they have few produce choices and create inconvenience in time to purchase. Inner cities are thus limited with fresh fruit and vegetable supply a matter that is aggravated by the high population density and low income among families.
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Collaboration between urban farms and corner stores could increase inner-city resident's fresh fruit and vegetable choices. Urban farming refers to the agricultural production of food crops in areas within and outside urban centers. The use of greenhouses and other techniques can be adopted to solve the fruits and vegetable crisis in the inner city. For instance, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene approved the Healthy Food Financing Initiative to improve fresh fruits and vegetable supply to the inner-city inhabitants.
How the Transtheoretical Model Might Apply to the Inner-City Families and Their Access to Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
The transtheoretical model highlights the reeducation process. The inhabitants of the inner city need to develop new attitudes, approaches, skills, and other necessary techniques to increase fresh fruit supply and intake. Even though given fruits may be available in the market, social norms, cultural preferences, and personal attitude could limit their intake. These tendencies need to be reformed to increases appreciation and consumption of the available fruits and vegetables.
Therefore, the transtheoretical model is essential in the reeducation process. The theory postulates that behavior change occurs in several stages and that people are in various developmental stages ( Hashemzadeh et al., 2019 ). Behavior transformation is neither a coincidence nor an unexpected event but involves the thought process. Wrong behaviors in food consumption can cause detrimental health effects, such as obesity and other chronic disorders. It is imperative that the inner city population is educated, to transform their behavior, into good or healthy eating habits.
The model consists of five stages beginning with the pre-contemplation, followed by contemplation, preparation, action, and finally maintenance ( Hashemzadeh et al., 2019 ). This indicates the behavior change process requires time to initiate, personal conviction, and strength to maintain. The change process also relies on self-efficiency, decisional balance, and the process of change. The theory is essential in the reeducation process. The inner city inhabitant needs to be educated on fruit and vegetable eating habits. Their inadequate intake of these crucial elements could be the contribution of the ignorance of their benefits, social and cultural perceptions. The theory finds its application to this class of people.
Post and Explanation: Why Someone Might Use the Transtheoretical Model to Better Understand Health Literacy of Inner-City Families Regarding the Purchase of Fruits and Vegetables at a Convenience Store
The theory of reasoned action distinguishes the role of intention and attitude in the decision-making process. The theory emphasizes that the purpose informs decisions of the doer rather than their attitudes ( Hackman & Knowlden, 2014 ). The theory affirms the position of the theory of reasoned action in its five stages of behavior education. The theory works to convert the intention or the reasoning of the actors. Therefore, the theory can be applied to understand the intention of the inner-city dwellers. The intention of the city dwellers is informed by social norms, cultural inclinations, and food accessibility, cost, and demand. Therefore, the inner-city inhabitants do not act recklessly but base their actions on knowledge informed by the elements mentioned above. Hence, the transtheoretical model is relevant in terms of context as it addresses the knowledge-based intentions of the inner city dwellers.
References
Gudzune, K. A., Welsh, C., Lane, E., Chissell, Z., Steeves, E. A., & Gittelsohn, J. (2015). Increasing access to fresh produce by pairing urban farms with corner stores: a case study in a low-income urban setting. Public Health Nutrition, 18 (15), 2770-2774.
Hackman, C. L., & Knowlden, A. P. (2014). Theory of reasoned action and theory of planned behavior-based dietary interventions in adolescents and young adults: a systematic review. Adolescent Health, Medicine, and Therapeutics, 5, 101.
Hashemzadeh, M., Rahimi, A., Zare-Farashbandi, F., Alavi-Naeini, A. M., & Daei, A. (2019). The transtheoretical model of behavioral health change: A systematic review. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, 24 (2), 83.
Sacks, R., Yi, S. S., & Nonas, C. (2015). Increasing access to fruits and vegetables: perspectives from the New York City experience. American Journal of Public Health, 105 (5), e29-e37.
