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Undergraduate nursing and medical students’ perceptions of food security and access to healthy food in Qatar: a photovoice study

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submitted on 2024-06-24, 05:58 and posted on 2024-06-24, 05:59 authored by Areej Al-Hamad, Shannan MacNevin, Suhad Daher-Nashif

The present study explored nursing and medical students’ perceptions of food security, their access to healthy food and the circumstances that affect their access to healthy food in Qatar. The photovoice method was adopted in the present study. Students submitted their photos pertaining to food security and their access to healthy food in Qatar. Afterwards, the students completed an online synchronous semi-structured interview. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. After the data analysis, a focus group discussion was conducted for member checking. The present study is a collaborative project between two universities in Qatar: The University of Calgary in Qatar (UCQ) and Qatar University (QU). Undergraduate students (seven nursing students and nine medical students) were recruited, asked to collect photos and interviewed. Four themes emerged from the data. First, food retail environments promoted unhealthy eating. Second, fast food under stressful circumstances: a sense of comfort. Third, food as a symbol of culture and socialisation. Finally, the paradox of access to affordable and healthy food in Qatar. Undergraduate students highlighted various circumstances that affect their perceptions of food security and their access to healthy food in Qatar. Future research that aims at understanding the facilitators and barriers to access healthy food at the university campus may help to improve nutrition interventions targeting those students. Future initiatives should focus on leveraging various resources to assist universities in tailoring their food initiatives to suit their students’ local needs.

Other Information

Published in: Journal of Nutritional Science
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
See article on publisher's website: https://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jns.2022.28

Funding

Qatar National Research Fund (UREP27-025-3-009), Undergraduate Nursing and Medical Students’ Perceptions of Food Security and Access to Healthy Food in Qatar: A Photo voice Study.

History

Language

  • English

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Publication Year

  • 2022

License statement

This Item is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Institution affiliated with

  • University of Calgary in Qatar
  • Faculty of Nursing - UCQ
  • Qatar University
  • Qatar University Health - QU
  • College of Medicine - QU HEALTH

Geographic coverage

Qatar

Usage metrics

    University of Calgary in Qatar

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