Abstract
To discover how organic food factors into low-income consumers' overall understanding of healthy eating, we analyzed 36 in-depth interviews with adults in Baltimore, Maryland. We asked participants to discuss their understanding of healthy eating. Unprompted, many participants discussed organic food or attributes commonly understood to define organic food. Some participants believed health issues including cancer, weight gain, and allergies can arise from consuming nonorganic foods. Participants expressed that organic competes with other food attributes such as nutrient content in informing their perception of whether a food is healthy. Several voiced concern that nonorganic foods are responsible for weight gain and abnormal development. Our results show that despite limited access, organic is an important factor in some consumers' understanding of healthy food. Consumers' perceptions of organic can swamp or compete with other messages about healthy eating. Therefore, consumers' understanding of organic should be considered in developing diet-related messages and programs.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 83-92 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Culture, Agriculture, Food and Environment |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 1 2014 |
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Keywords
- Baltimore
- Diet
- Food
- Nutrition
- Organic
- Qualitative research
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous)
- Anthropology
- Cultural Studies
- Food Science
Cite this
"They just say organic food is healthier" : Perceptions of healthy food among supermarket shoppers in Southwest Baltimore. / Rodman, Sarah O.; Palmer, Anne M; Zachary, Drew A.; Hopkins, Laura C.; Surkan, Pamela.
In: Culture, Agriculture, Food and Environment, Vol. 36, No. 2, 01.12.2014, p. 83-92.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - "They just say organic food is healthier"
T2 - Perceptions of healthy food among supermarket shoppers in Southwest Baltimore
AU - Rodman, Sarah O.
AU - Palmer, Anne M
AU - Zachary, Drew A.
AU - Hopkins, Laura C.
AU - Surkan, Pamela
PY - 2014/12/1
Y1 - 2014/12/1
N2 - To discover how organic food factors into low-income consumers' overall understanding of healthy eating, we analyzed 36 in-depth interviews with adults in Baltimore, Maryland. We asked participants to discuss their understanding of healthy eating. Unprompted, many participants discussed organic food or attributes commonly understood to define organic food. Some participants believed health issues including cancer, weight gain, and allergies can arise from consuming nonorganic foods. Participants expressed that organic competes with other food attributes such as nutrient content in informing their perception of whether a food is healthy. Several voiced concern that nonorganic foods are responsible for weight gain and abnormal development. Our results show that despite limited access, organic is an important factor in some consumers' understanding of healthy food. Consumers' perceptions of organic can swamp or compete with other messages about healthy eating. Therefore, consumers' understanding of organic should be considered in developing diet-related messages and programs.
AB - To discover how organic food factors into low-income consumers' overall understanding of healthy eating, we analyzed 36 in-depth interviews with adults in Baltimore, Maryland. We asked participants to discuss their understanding of healthy eating. Unprompted, many participants discussed organic food or attributes commonly understood to define organic food. Some participants believed health issues including cancer, weight gain, and allergies can arise from consuming nonorganic foods. Participants expressed that organic competes with other food attributes such as nutrient content in informing their perception of whether a food is healthy. Several voiced concern that nonorganic foods are responsible for weight gain and abnormal development. Our results show that despite limited access, organic is an important factor in some consumers' understanding of healthy food. Consumers' perceptions of organic can swamp or compete with other messages about healthy eating. Therefore, consumers' understanding of organic should be considered in developing diet-related messages and programs.
KW - Baltimore
KW - Diet
KW - Food
KW - Nutrition
KW - Organic
KW - Qualitative research
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84913539565&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84913539565&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/cuag.12036
DO - 10.1111/cuag.12036
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84913539565
VL - 36
SP - 83
EP - 92
JO - Culture, Agriculture, Food and Environment
JF - Culture, Agriculture, Food and Environment
SN - 2153-9553
IS - 2
ER -