“I Would Have Never Thought That I Would Be in Such a Predicament”: Voices From Women Experiencing Food Insecurity in Nova Scotia, Canada

Abstract

Using a structured dialogue method, 56 women from Nova Scotia, Canada, affiliated with 2 federally funded programs housed in family resource centers (FRCs) shared their experiences of living with food insecurity. Their stories revealed an overall lack of supportive environments for them and their children, characterized by (1) the struggle to obtain nutritious food; (2) lack of supports within systems; (3) feeling judged; and (4) stress and its impacts. Through telling their stories and engaging in reflection and critical analysis of their experiences, these women have enriched a research process that is working toward policy change to build food security.

Keywords:

• food access
• food insecurity
• food security
• Nova Scotia
• participatory action research
• story sharing
• structured dialogue methods

Acknowledgments

The views expressed herein are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official policy of Health Canada.

The authors thank the participating Community Action Program for Children and Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program–funded Family Resource Centres/Projects throughout Nova Scotia, Canada, especially the women who courageously shared their stories for this study. Thanks also to the partners who made this study possible: The Nova Scotia Food Security Network, Nova Scotia Nutrition Council, Atlantic Health Promotion Research Centre, Mount Saint Vincent, St. Francis Xavier and Acadia universities, Nova Scotia District Health Authorities Public Health Services, Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, and members of the provincial and national advisory committees who help to guide this work. At the time of the study the authors' primary affiliations were the Atlantic Health Promotion Research Centre, Dalhousie University (P.W., L.L., C.J., R.M., K.B.), the Nova Scotia Nutrition Council (P.W., B.A., D.G., S.M., K.B.), and Community Action Program for Children (CAPC)- and Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP)-funded Family Resource Centres/Projects (D.R.). Special thanks to Rebecca Green, Sarah Lake, and Cynthia Watt for assisting with revisions to the manuscript. This study was supported by a grant from the Population Health Fund, Population and Public Health Branch, Health Canada, Atlantic Regional Office.