Protective attributes and behaviors related to food provisioning for food security among U.S. low-income, Mexican-born mothers of young children: a qualitative study
Background: U.S. Mexican-born Hispanic/Latino households are at a high risk of experiencing food insecurity and its poor dietary and health consequences but may have attributes that can be leveraged to promote food security and healthy dietary quality. To gain more in-depth understanding and capacit...
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Elsevier
2025-12-01
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| Series: | SSM: Qualitative Research in Health |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667321525001003 |
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| author | Amanda C. McClain Marian Marian Katherine L. Dickin Jamie S. Dollahite |
| author_facet | Amanda C. McClain Marian Marian Katherine L. Dickin Jamie S. Dollahite |
| author_sort | Amanda C. McClain |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: U.S. Mexican-born Hispanic/Latino households are at a high risk of experiencing food insecurity and its poor dietary and health consequences but may have attributes that can be leveraged to promote food security and healthy dietary quality. To gain more in-depth understanding and capacity-oriented data to inform programming, we sought to elucidate potential food provisioning-related factors protecting low-income U.S. Mexican-born households with young children from food insecurity. Methods: We conducted a community-based qualitative study, guided by Life Course Perspective and Ecological Systems Theory, in two New York State counties. Low-income Mexican-born mothers (n = 27) of young children (≤5 years) with ≤10 years in the U.S. completed two semi-structured interviews, including a participant-driven photo elicitation interview, and responded to the 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module. We conducted thematic content analyses to identify emergent themes. Results: We identified four themes related to important attributes and behaviors of participants, which appeared to protect their households from food insecurity: resourcefulness and creativity with food provisioning, valuing new knowledge and skill-building opportunities, reflectiveness on poverty and food insecurity experiences, and the ability to establish beneficial food-provisioning routines, with the latter appearing to differentiate food-secure and food-insecure households. These attributes and behaviors facilitated management of economic resources while also meeting cultural ideals and family preferences. Conclusions: Low-income Mexican-born households appear to have human and cultural capital (i.e., assets) that may serve to be protective. Improved policies and programming are necessary to leverage these capacities to promote food security and healthier dietary intake. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e845dda1b9d94db08b672b93b9b46d7b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2667-3215 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SSM: Qualitative Research in Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-e845dda1b9d94db08b672b93b9b46d7b2025-08-20T05:08:08ZengElsevierSSM: Qualitative Research in Health2667-32152025-12-01810062210.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100622Protective attributes and behaviors related to food provisioning for food security among U.S. low-income, Mexican-born mothers of young children: a qualitative studyAmanda C. McClain0Marian Marian1Katherine L. Dickin2Jamie S. Dollahite3School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182-7251, USA; Corresponding authorAssociate Professor School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences San Diego State University 5500 Campanile Drive San Diego, CA 92182.Institution where research conducted: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, 244 Garden Ave, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA.School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182-7251, USA; Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, USADepartment of Public and Ecosystem Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, S2005 Schurman Hall, 606 Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USADivision of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, 244 Garden Ave, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USABackground: U.S. Mexican-born Hispanic/Latino households are at a high risk of experiencing food insecurity and its poor dietary and health consequences but may have attributes that can be leveraged to promote food security and healthy dietary quality. To gain more in-depth understanding and capacity-oriented data to inform programming, we sought to elucidate potential food provisioning-related factors protecting low-income U.S. Mexican-born households with young children from food insecurity. Methods: We conducted a community-based qualitative study, guided by Life Course Perspective and Ecological Systems Theory, in two New York State counties. Low-income Mexican-born mothers (n = 27) of young children (≤5 years) with ≤10 years in the U.S. completed two semi-structured interviews, including a participant-driven photo elicitation interview, and responded to the 18-item Household Food Security Survey Module. We conducted thematic content analyses to identify emergent themes. Results: We identified four themes related to important attributes and behaviors of participants, which appeared to protect their households from food insecurity: resourcefulness and creativity with food provisioning, valuing new knowledge and skill-building opportunities, reflectiveness on poverty and food insecurity experiences, and the ability to establish beneficial food-provisioning routines, with the latter appearing to differentiate food-secure and food-insecure households. These attributes and behaviors facilitated management of economic resources while also meeting cultural ideals and family preferences. Conclusions: Low-income Mexican-born households appear to have human and cultural capital (i.e., assets) that may serve to be protective. Improved policies and programming are necessary to leverage these capacities to promote food security and healthier dietary intake.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667321525001003Food securityQualitative researchHispanic or latinoImmigrantsMexican-bornChildren |
| spellingShingle | Amanda C. McClain Marian Marian Katherine L. Dickin Jamie S. Dollahite Protective attributes and behaviors related to food provisioning for food security among U.S. low-income, Mexican-born mothers of young children: a qualitative study SSM: Qualitative Research in Health Food security Qualitative research Hispanic or latino Immigrants Mexican-born Children |
| title | Protective attributes and behaviors related to food provisioning for food security among U.S. low-income, Mexican-born mothers of young children: a qualitative study |
| title_full | Protective attributes and behaviors related to food provisioning for food security among U.S. low-income, Mexican-born mothers of young children: a qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Protective attributes and behaviors related to food provisioning for food security among U.S. low-income, Mexican-born mothers of young children: a qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Protective attributes and behaviors related to food provisioning for food security among U.S. low-income, Mexican-born mothers of young children: a qualitative study |
| title_short | Protective attributes and behaviors related to food provisioning for food security among U.S. low-income, Mexican-born mothers of young children: a qualitative study |
| title_sort | protective attributes and behaviors related to food provisioning for food security among u s low income mexican born mothers of young children a qualitative study |
| topic | Food security Qualitative research Hispanic or latino Immigrants Mexican-born Children |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667321525001003 |
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