Perceptions of Food Access, Grocery Shopping, As Well as Gardening and Farming Among Rural and Urban Iowans With Multiple Sclerosis

Solange M Saxby; Anna M Klein; Farnoosh Shemirani; Ellen T Meiser; Tyler J Titcomb; Terry Wahls; Linda Snetselaar

doi:10.1016/j.cdnut.2025.106326

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Perceptions of Food Access, Grocery Shopping, As Well as Gardening and Farming Among Rural and Urban Iowans With Multiple Sclerosis

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Perceptions of Food Access, Grocery Shopping, As Well as Gardening and Farming Among Rural and Urban Iowans With Multiple Sclerosis

Solange M Saxby, Anna M Klein, Farnoosh Shemirani, Ellen T Meiser, Tyler J Titcomb, Terry Wahls and Linda Snetselaar

Current developments in nutrition, Vol.9(Supplement 2), 106326

05/01/2025

DOI: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2025.106326

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Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to explore the perspectives of rural and urban Iowans with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) regarding grocery shopping, food security, food access, and quality of life (QoL). Methods: The present study focuses on the qualitative analysis conducted as part of a mixed-methods pilot study. Food security, social support, and QoL were comparatively examined between rural and urban Iowa residents with MS using validated self-reported questionnaires and semi-structured one-on-one interviews. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed utilizing MAXQDA software. In addition to themes of food security, social support, and QoL that emerged, corresponding nutrition-related facilitators and barriers were also analyzed. Results: Four major nutrition-related themes emerged from the interviews: access to preferred foods, grocery store characteristics, grocery shopping methods, and home cultivation (i.e., home gardening and farming). Nuanced differences emerged between rural or urban residents with MS, who reported experiencing slight differences in characteristics and methods of grocery shopping, the use of home cultivation, and access to preferred foods – all of which indirectly affect food security. Furthermore, barriers were identified to these themes, including geographic isolation, economic constraints, and limited online shopping options, alongside facilitators like gardening, agricultural connections, and agriculture-based community food systems/networks. Conclusions: This study explored the complex relationship between grocery shopping, food access, and food security in individuals with MS, identifying facilitators and barriers to food access. Targeted interventions are then outlined that utilize the identified barriers and facilitators to potentially enhance food access and mitigate food insecurity for individuals with MS in Iowa, thereby improving QoL for this population.

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Title: Subtitle: Perceptions of Food Access, Grocery Shopping, As Well as Gardening and Farming Among Rural and Urban Iowans With Multiple Sclerosis
Creators: Solange M Saxby - Dartmouth Health
Anna M Klein - University of Iowa
Farnoosh Shemirani - University of Iowa
Ellen T Meiser - University of Hawaii at Hilo
Tyler J Titcomb - University of Iowa
Terry Wahls - University of Iowa
Linda Snetselaar - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Abstract
Publication Details: Current developments in nutrition, Vol.9(Supplement 2), 106326
DOI: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2025.106326
eISSN: 2475-2991
Publisher: Elsevier
Language: English
Date published: 05/01/2025
Academic Unit: Neurology; Epidemiology; Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center; General Internal Medicine; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9984827329202771

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