1
Health Promotion Research
Gladys De Leon
Capella University
NURS-FPX4055 Optimizing Population Health
Professor: Abida Solomon
May, 2026
, 2
Food Insecurity
According to the journal "Addressing food insecurity in the primary care," there is a main issue in the
community, known as food insecurity. Food insecurity can be defined as a health issue that affects millions of
people, especially those individuals that live in unprotected and poor communities. Food insecurity affects
many, including Black and Hispanic families, families whose head of household is a single woman with
children, and those living at or close to the poverty line.
To prevent food insecurity, healthcare providers may help those in need by providing them with
preventative actions, such as working with neighborhood groups that help those in need, and referring patients
to the area resources such as food banks, food pantries, SNAP, and WIC. Also, focusing on working with
supermarkets and farmers’ markets to provide healthy food to those communities in need. These efforts may
reduce the effects of food insecurity and related health problems on people in general (Eldred & Kameg, 2021).
Windshield Survey
The selected community is a low-income neighborhood located in deep South Texas, these individuals
live close to the border of Mexico, which is called the “Rio Grande Valley," the main population in this area are
Hispanics, and it is evident that they are facing food insecurity, this is a serious public health issue caused by
local, cultural, economic, and other social factors (Espinoza, M. 2025). In this area, the Hispanics experience
extremely high rates of poverty; there are not many healthcare facilities, housing might be expensive, and there
are few employment options, leaving them with low income, which directly leads to poor access to healthy
food, especially in areas like the Rio Grande Valley.
Many families are employed in jobs that offer low wages, jobs that include agriculture or the service
field, or informal labor markets that do not offer job security, health benefits, or pay low incomes. In the Rio
Grande Valley, it is frequently reported that the poverty rates are greater than the national average. Affecting
Health Promotion Research
Gladys De Leon
Capella University
NURS-FPX4055 Optimizing Population Health
Professor: Abida Solomon
May, 2026
, 2
Food Insecurity
According to the journal "Addressing food insecurity in the primary care," there is a main issue in the
community, known as food insecurity. Food insecurity can be defined as a health issue that affects millions of
people, especially those individuals that live in unprotected and poor communities. Food insecurity affects
many, including Black and Hispanic families, families whose head of household is a single woman with
children, and those living at or close to the poverty line.
To prevent food insecurity, healthcare providers may help those in need by providing them with
preventative actions, such as working with neighborhood groups that help those in need, and referring patients
to the area resources such as food banks, food pantries, SNAP, and WIC. Also, focusing on working with
supermarkets and farmers’ markets to provide healthy food to those communities in need. These efforts may
reduce the effects of food insecurity and related health problems on people in general (Eldred & Kameg, 2021).
Windshield Survey
The selected community is a low-income neighborhood located in deep South Texas, these individuals
live close to the border of Mexico, which is called the “Rio Grande Valley," the main population in this area are
Hispanics, and it is evident that they are facing food insecurity, this is a serious public health issue caused by
local, cultural, economic, and other social factors (Espinoza, M. 2025). In this area, the Hispanics experience
extremely high rates of poverty; there are not many healthcare facilities, housing might be expensive, and there
are few employment options, leaving them with low income, which directly leads to poor access to healthy
food, especially in areas like the Rio Grande Valley.
Many families are employed in jobs that offer low wages, jobs that include agriculture or the service
field, or informal labor markets that do not offer job security, health benefits, or pay low incomes. In the Rio
Grande Valley, it is frequently reported that the poverty rates are greater than the national average. Affecting
