Key Findings
One of the main findings from the research is that limited financial resources have a very significant impact on a community’s access to healthy diets ( Bowen , MacNell & Shipman , 2017) . Based on the feedback from the respondents, it is evident that increasing the number of supermarkets is not the solution to this problem. The challenge is the scarcity of money to shop and make food purchases on a regular basis. Prices really matter in such cases because if they were lower for foodstuffs, then individuals with low-income levels would be able to shop more regularly.
Theory
Rational Choice Theory
The rational choice theory states that individuals will always make prudent decisions that are aligned with their personal preferences. The implication here is that each course of action will bring the highest form of utility thus bringing them satisfaction and benefit. This theory seeks to explain how human actions are linked to their rational state of reasoning by showing that their choices will always be made based on the calculation of cost and the pursuit of a person’s self-interest.
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The aforementioned theory can be used to best explain how the respondents from the research prioritize their needs and preferences to satisfy the one that they are able to. For instance, since supermarkets have the biggest variety of fresh produce and foods, individuals are forced to take a bus to these places so that they can buy food of their choice. Bowen , MacNell , & Shipman , M. (2017) note that they may have neighboring stores with little or no fresh produce and as such, they make a decision to travel to the nearest supermarket.
Evaluation: Research Method
Interviews were used as the main research method in this study. One of the main advantages of this method is that it provides room for a researcher to obtain credible information because they are talking to the participants through direct interactions. Moreover, the method also makes it possible for one to assess the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors of individuals regarding the phenomenon under study. The disadvantages are that the method can be very time-consuming because it involves many processes from the setup, interview, transcription, analysis, and reporting. In addition to this, interviews are also very costly.
There is a need for additional information to be obtained to provide further insight on the findings from this research. Supplementary studies can, therefore, be initiated to investigate whether there are other factors that may contribute to the persistence of this problem. For instance, researchers can look at the influence of aspects such as occupation, education, and inflation leading to an increase in the cost of living standards. Moreover, it can also explore the issue from a cultural perspective by looking at how ethnicities contribute to the stated problem.
References
Bowen , S., MacNell , L., & Shipman , M. (2017). Money, Not Access, Key to Resident Food Choices in ‘Food Deserts’. NC State News. Retrieved from https://news.ncsu.edu/2017/03/money-food-deserts-2017/
