Community-Engaged Strategies to Improve Food Access, Food Security, and Health Outcomes

Dear Colleagues,

People with limited resources or those who reside in underserved and rural areas are at increased risk for adverse nutrition-related health outcomes. Among the challenges they face are limited access to affordable healthy food options and increased risk for episodic or chronic food insecurity. Successful programs approach multiple factors that might affect health and are now employing community engagement, which recognizes the complex role played by social and physical environments and engages neighborhoods, health practices, organized groups, agencies, institutions, and individuals. Engagement strategies include outreach and education, consultation, cooperation, collaboration, and/or partnership. However, more evidence is still needed on the community-engaged strategies and factors that can contribute to the adherence and maintenance of changes regarding healthy food patterns.

This Special Issue will show why community engagement strategies are ideal for promoting healthy nutrition and well-being to individuals, families, and communities. We invite the submission of original research, review articles, as well as program development, feasibility studies, evaluation, and sustainability-related topics including, but not limited, to the following:

• Establishment and maintenance of food incentive programs;
• Food access and sustainability of school and community gardens;
• Strategies that involve local farms;
• Produce prescriptions and health outcomes;
• Healthcare and worksite collaborations;
• Role of food banks and food pantries in promoting healthy outcomes;
• Role of school and after-school in promoting heathy eating

Prof. Dr. Joseph Sharkey
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.