Perceived barriers to accessing adequate nutrition among food insecure households within a food desert.

OBJECTIVES: The US Department of Agriculture has identified an area in La Crosse, Wisconsin as a food desert-a low-income area with a low level of access to a grocery store or healthy, affordable food outlet. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and potential predictors of severe food insecurity in this area. METHODS: Questionnaires assessing food insecurity and perceived barriers to accessing adequate nutrition were sent out to 2,068 households located within the food desert in La Crosse. Data was analyzed to examine correlations between severe food insecurity and demographics, certain health behaviors, and perceived barriers to nutrition. RESULTS: Overall food insecurity existed in 33.9% of households: severe food insecurity with hunger in 14.6%, and without hunger in 19.3%. Significant correlations to severe food insecurity included health insurance status (Medicaid vs private insurance, OR 3.5), renting a home (OR 5.23), identifying the cost of healthy foods as a significant barrier (OR 2.97), having no transportation to a store (OR 3.09), not having enough money (OR 22.88), and currently smoking (OR 3.60). CONCLUSION: Severe food insecurity was much higher in this population than expected. Clinicians should consider the patient's ability to access and afford healthy food as part of the patient's health history, as well as considering individual and population solutions.

Quality of life improvement with sublingual immunotherapy: a prospective study of efficacy.

Due to its excellent safety profile, ease of administration, and economic considerations, sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is becoming a preferred form of allergen specific immunotherapy. The efficacy of SLIT is still debated. The purpose of this act of practice trial is to evaluate quality of life outcomes in patients treated with SLIT. Fifty one patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis demonstrated by skin testing completed the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) at initiation, at four months and at 10-12 months of SLIT. Significant improvement (P < 0.05) on six of seven domain categories of the RQLQ questionnaire was noted. Total RQLQ scores also showed significant improvement. This study supports SLIT as a modality effective in controlling allergic symptoms.