Research Article - Journal of Nutrition and Human Health (2024) Volume 8, Issue 6
Summer Food Service Program: Perspectives from Program Sponsors
Background: The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) was introduced to combat increases in food insecurity rates by providing free meals to children of low-income families over the summer months at approved sites. Objective: The study objective was to strategically develop, with an area foodbank partner, innovative approaches to improve the SFSP within their service area. Methods: The current study was qualitative in nature, utilizing interviews from sponsors within six coastal counties in South Carolina, USA. Sixteen pre-selected interviewees from non-school district community-based organizations, governmental agencies, and school districts participated. Main outcome measures included: barriers to SFSP child participation, barriers to SFSP sponsor participation, and recommendations for SFSP improvement. Key informant interview data were transcribed by a third-party transcription service and then entered into an online software tool that generated word clouds with word frequencies or counts so that major data themes could be deciphered. The software omitted common filler words and presented the 50 most common words found in responses within each word cloud, utilizing an iterative, thematic approach. Two study team members (OT and ES) jointly created a coding structure and independently analyzed each transcript. The team members met frequently to discuss discrepancies and revisions and achieved consensus in their analyses, which were largely indictive. Results: Transportation and lack of program awareness were the main barriers to both child and sponsor participation, and thus program utilization. Other barriers highlighted were: 1) lack of knowledge and training for sponsors/staff; 2) heavy administrative (paperwork) burdens; 3) high start-up costs and the ever-increasing cost of food; 4) lack of proper facilities and equipment including vans/trucks/ buses, storage space, and food storage containers; and 5) compliance with food safety regulations. Sponsors also noted that there was a negative stigma attached to or associated with youth participation in the SFSP or getting free food. Conclusions: Additional research is needed to not only improve the SFSP, but to generate data demonstrating SFSP effectiveness for policymakers and key stakeholders alike
Author(s):Olivia M Thompson*, Elizabeth B Symon