Despite global efforts aimed at economic growth and people’s well-being, financial issues remain topical in developed nations. Miami, Florida, retains an image of an affluent city, and it may be difficult to imagine that some of its population experiences severe financial issues. Nevertheless, the area’s median income remains below the United States’ average level, and many families do not have access to regular meals. Malnourishment poses a range of serious threats for one’s health, and the issue is particularly topical for young people as their organisms continue their development. The purpose of this research is to examine the degree to which this issue affects Miami families, and propose viable intervention techniques.
Problem Statement
While Miami has a reputation as an affluent area, it demonstrates similar issues to the rest of South Florida in terms of average income compared to the cost of living. As of 2018, Miami’s average household income amounted to $64,540, placing it below the overall average level of the United States (“Miami, Florida population 2018,” 2018). Simultaneously, the area’s poverty rate exceeds twenty-four percent, which is an alarming number (“Miami, Florida population 2018,” 2018). Accordingly, this situation entails higher food insecurity risks, and research shows that nearly nine percent of Miami’s population does not have access to regular meals (Feeding South Florida, 2017). Malnourishment has been associated with a range of conditions in terms of people’s physical and mental health. Raskind et al. (2019) evaluated the performance of over two thousand students, almost one-third of whom reported food insecurity, and concluded their academic results were negatively affected by the described issue. Arenas et al. (2019) associate food insecurity with such disorders as depression and anxiety, as well. Therefore, the lack of access to regular nutrition is alarming, posing considerable threats to public health.
Questions
The proposed project will focus on the key questions surrounding the described issue. First of all, it is important to assess the psychological and physical well-being of participants and determine the degree to which they are affected by food insecurity. The second question to be discussed consists of an evaluation of the intervention technique’s effectiveness. The correlation between the findings will allow for an accurate outcome assessment.
Methodology
The study will start with the pre-intervention data collection, which is possible through self-evaluation interviews with the selected participants. Secondly, clinical screenings will be conducted in order to compare the results with the initial assessments. The study will focus on three young students from low-income families who experience moderate food insecurity. Once the project starts, they will be provided with regular lunches in the course of ten weeks. The objective is to obtain evidence, which would confirm that proper nourishment would directly affect their psychological well-being, thus indirectly affecting the academic performance levels. After the first five weeks of the intervention, preliminary results will be analyzed via self-evaluation. Once the project is over, each participant will undergo a screening identical to the one which was conducted prior to launching the intervention. All three datasets will be compared in order to draw valid conclusions, either confirming and disproving the effectiveness of the intervention technique.
Timetable
The overall duration of the project will be ten weeks, not comprising the preparation and post-intervention analysis. It is going to start by the end of November 2020 and last until February 2021. During the preparation stage, each selected participant’s family will sign a written consent form, confirming their informed participation in the project. Self-evaluation forms will be distributed and collected, as well. The main stage will begin with clinical assessments and comprise the intervention itself. During the post-intervention phase, the participants will have another professional evaluation, and the results will be provided in the form of a capstone project. Progress reports will be collected at the halfway point of the second stage and delivered to the supervisors and the participants’ families.
References
Feeding South Florida. (2017). Map the meal gap 2017. Web.
Miami, Florida population 2018. (2018).
Raskind, I. G., Haardofer, R., & Berg, C. J. (2019). Food insecurity, psychosocial health, and academic performance among college and university students in Georgia, USA. Public Health Nutrition, 22(3), 476–485.