Michelle Eichinger - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Uploads

Papers by Michelle Eichinger

Research paper thumbnail of Spatial Planning to Examine Regional Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Obesity and Diabetes by Analyzing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Retail Environment: Applying a Machine Learning Approach

In the United States, food insecurity has been an ongoing concern nationwide, with over 17.4 mill... more In the United States, food insecurity has been an ongoing concern nationwide, with over 17.4 million Americans affected. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as “food stamps,” aims to improve food security by providing financial assistance on food purchases to income-eligible households. SNAP participants redeem their benefits at SNAP-authorized retailers, including supermarkets, small discount stores, convenience stores, corner stores, and pharmacies. The retail food environment influences food purchasing behavior, thus contributing to poor diet. In the United States, low-income residents, including SNAP participants and minority residents, are more likely to have diet-related diseases, including obesity and Type 2 diabetes, due to the consumption of inexpensive energy-dense foods. However, there have been no studies to date that examine the relationship between the SNAP retail environment and low-income...

Research paper thumbnail of Planning for pandemics : learning from the 2004–05 avian influenza outbreak in Vietnam

Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, Sep 25, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of When Planning Meets Health: Delaware’s Plan4Health Grant Fosters a Healthy Delaware

Delaware Journal of Public Health, 2016

How do we integrate health in land use and community planning? The Delaware Chapter of the Americ... more How do we integrate health in land use and community planning? The Delaware Chapter of the American Planning Association (DE APA) and the Delaware Public Health Association (DPHA) came together to pursue the Plan4Health grant through a partnership of the American Planning Association (APA) and the American Public Health Association (APHA) Plan4Health program, which is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). What is Plan4Health? The Plan4Health program aims to combat two determinants of chronic diseaselack of physical activity and lack of access to nutritious foods, and to work with local coalitions to promote the inclusion of health in non-traditional sectors. By connecting communities across the country and funding work at the intersection of planning and public health, coalitions can work together to create healthy places for their community. Coalitions, in turn, work within the communities to increase access to healthy food or increase opportunities for active living where residents live, work, and play.

Research paper thumbnail of Urban Health and Urbanization: Acting on Social Determinants in Urban Settings

Research paper thumbnail of Point-of-Decision Design (PODD) to Support Healthy Behaviors in the College Campuses

World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Architectural and Environmental Engineering, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Available, Affordable, Accessible, Appealing: The A’s of Influencing Healthy Eating and Active Living

Delaware Journal of Public Health, 2016

In the work of addressing obesity, there has been a movement to focus on policy, systems, and env... more In the work of addressing obesity, there has been a movement to focus on policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change strategies. These PSE strategies are seen as sustainable with wide reach impacting populations that influences behavior to reduce obesity.1,2 In 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report on recommended community strategies to combat obesity which stated, “reversing the U.S. obesity epidemic will require population level change that focuses on adopting policies and creating environments that support healthier lifestyle choices.”3 However, what are the characteristics to influence behavior with these strategies?

Research paper thumbnail of Planning for Emerging Infectious Disease Pandemics

Journal of the American Planning Association, 2021

Abstract Problem, research strategy, and findings Planners have not paid enough attention to mana... more Abstract Problem, research strategy, and findings Planners have not paid enough attention to managing the risk of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), of which COVID-19 is the most recent manifestation. Overlooking aggressive policies to manage this risk of zoonotic viruses reassorting between sick animals and humans misses the greatest opportunity for stopping future disease pandemics. In this study we review several disciplines, outline the scant planning literature on EIDs, and identify the increasing calls from virologists and medical professionals to address urbanization as a key EID driver. Using the case of avian influenza outbreaks in Vietnam in 2004 and 2005, we conceptualize a preventive planning approach to managing the risk of zoonotic transmission that results in EID pandemics. Takeaway for practice We make several recommendations for planners. Practicing planners should consider how their plans manage the risk of zoonotic disease transmission between animals and humans through land use planning and community planning. Planning education and certification organizations should develop positions regarding the role of planning for EIDs. Food systems planners should consider the importance of livestock practices in food production as a risk factor for EIDs. Diverse research teams should combine geographic scales, data sources, and disciplinary knowledge to examine how an extended series of upstream and downstream events can result in a global pandemic. Such empirical examination can lead to effective planning policies to greatly reduce this risk.

Research paper thumbnail of Disease and disaster: Navigating food insecurity in a community affected by crises during COVID-19

Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2021

This exploratory study examines how a community experiencing food insecurity while navigating mul... more This exploratory study examines how a community experiencing food insecurity while navigating multiple crises can be a model to inform resources, processes, and systems supporting communities facing similar circumstances. Data for this study were collected from residents of a community in Oconee County, a rural county in the northwest corner of South Carolina experiencing pervasive food insecurity. The community was severely impacted by the onset of COVID-19 and further devastated by a tornado in mid-April. The area of the county that sustained the greatest damage from the tornado was the Utica Mill Hill community, home to the county’s most vulnerable population. This cascading series of events constituted a crisis-within-a-crisis for the community. In this study, we sought to learn more about community members’ experiences and the effects of the crises on com­munity members’ access to food. We conducted in-depth interviews with 14 residents living in the Utica Mill Hill community. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Using Community-Engaged Research to Explore Social Determinants of Health in a Low-Resource Community in the Dominican Republic: A Community Health Assessment

Hispanic Health Care International, 2019

Introduction: Previously published community health assessments (CHA) have explored social determ... more Introduction: Previously published community health assessments (CHA) have explored social determinants of health in low-resource, Haitian-majority Dominican communities. The present CHA was conducted in Las Malvinas II, a Dominican-majority low-resource community, and represented a first step for developing a building a healthier community process. Method: A binational community–academic partnership adapted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s CHANGE (Community Health Assessment and Group Evaluation) guide to conduct a CHA through community-engaged, mixed-methods research. Data were collected on five community selected public health priorities (i.e., education, sanitation, unwanted pregnancies, chronic disease management, and vaccine-preventable diseases) and community assets through focus groups, interviews with key informants, and a household survey using GIS (geographical information systems) technology. Results: Of all five priorities, unwanted pregnancies and sanit...

Research paper thumbnail of Spatial Planning to Examine Regional Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Obesity and Diabetes by Analyzing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Retail Environment: Applying a Machine Learning Approach

In the United States, food insecurity has been an ongoing concern nationwide, with over 17.4 mill... more In the United States, food insecurity has been an ongoing concern nationwide, with over 17.4 million Americans affected. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as “food stamps,” aims to improve food security by providing financial assistance on food purchases to income-eligible households. SNAP participants redeem their benefits at SNAP-authorized retailers, including supermarkets, small discount stores, convenience stores, corner stores, and pharmacies. The retail food environment influences food purchasing behavior, thus contributing to poor diet. In the United States, low-income residents, including SNAP participants and minority residents, are more likely to have diet-related diseases, including obesity and Type 2 diabetes, due to the consumption of inexpensive energy-dense foods. However, there have been no studies to date that examine the relationship between the SNAP retail environment and low-income...

Research paper thumbnail of Planning for pandemics : learning from the 2004–05 avian influenza outbreak in Vietnam

Honolulu, HI : East-West Center, Sep 25, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of When Planning Meets Health: Delaware’s Plan4Health Grant Fosters a Healthy Delaware

Delaware Journal of Public Health, 2016

How do we integrate health in land use and community planning? The Delaware Chapter of the Americ... more How do we integrate health in land use and community planning? The Delaware Chapter of the American Planning Association (DE APA) and the Delaware Public Health Association (DPHA) came together to pursue the Plan4Health grant through a partnership of the American Planning Association (APA) and the American Public Health Association (APHA) Plan4Health program, which is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). What is Plan4Health? The Plan4Health program aims to combat two determinants of chronic diseaselack of physical activity and lack of access to nutritious foods, and to work with local coalitions to promote the inclusion of health in non-traditional sectors. By connecting communities across the country and funding work at the intersection of planning and public health, coalitions can work together to create healthy places for their community. Coalitions, in turn, work within the communities to increase access to healthy food or increase opportunities for active living where residents live, work, and play.

Research paper thumbnail of Urban Health and Urbanization: Acting on Social Determinants in Urban Settings

Research paper thumbnail of Point-of-Decision Design (PODD) to Support Healthy Behaviors in the College Campuses

World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Architectural and Environmental Engineering, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Available, Affordable, Accessible, Appealing: The A’s of Influencing Healthy Eating and Active Living

Delaware Journal of Public Health, 2016

In the work of addressing obesity, there has been a movement to focus on policy, systems, and env... more In the work of addressing obesity, there has been a movement to focus on policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change strategies. These PSE strategies are seen as sustainable with wide reach impacting populations that influences behavior to reduce obesity.1,2 In 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report on recommended community strategies to combat obesity which stated, “reversing the U.S. obesity epidemic will require population level change that focuses on adopting policies and creating environments that support healthier lifestyle choices.”3 However, what are the characteristics to influence behavior with these strategies?

Research paper thumbnail of Planning for Emerging Infectious Disease Pandemics

Journal of the American Planning Association, 2021

Abstract Problem, research strategy, and findings Planners have not paid enough attention to mana... more Abstract Problem, research strategy, and findings Planners have not paid enough attention to managing the risk of emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), of which COVID-19 is the most recent manifestation. Overlooking aggressive policies to manage this risk of zoonotic viruses reassorting between sick animals and humans misses the greatest opportunity for stopping future disease pandemics. In this study we review several disciplines, outline the scant planning literature on EIDs, and identify the increasing calls from virologists and medical professionals to address urbanization as a key EID driver. Using the case of avian influenza outbreaks in Vietnam in 2004 and 2005, we conceptualize a preventive planning approach to managing the risk of zoonotic transmission that results in EID pandemics. Takeaway for practice We make several recommendations for planners. Practicing planners should consider how their plans manage the risk of zoonotic disease transmission between animals and humans through land use planning and community planning. Planning education and certification organizations should develop positions regarding the role of planning for EIDs. Food systems planners should consider the importance of livestock practices in food production as a risk factor for EIDs. Diverse research teams should combine geographic scales, data sources, and disciplinary knowledge to examine how an extended series of upstream and downstream events can result in a global pandemic. Such empirical examination can lead to effective planning policies to greatly reduce this risk.

Research paper thumbnail of Disease and disaster: Navigating food insecurity in a community affected by crises during COVID-19

Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 2021

This exploratory study examines how a community experiencing food insecurity while navigating mul... more This exploratory study examines how a community experiencing food insecurity while navigating multiple crises can be a model to inform resources, processes, and systems supporting communities facing similar circumstances. Data for this study were collected from residents of a community in Oconee County, a rural county in the northwest corner of South Carolina experiencing pervasive food insecurity. The community was severely impacted by the onset of COVID-19 and further devastated by a tornado in mid-April. The area of the county that sustained the greatest damage from the tornado was the Utica Mill Hill community, home to the county’s most vulnerable population. This cascading series of events constituted a crisis-within-a-crisis for the community. In this study, we sought to learn more about community members’ experiences and the effects of the crises on com­munity members’ access to food. We conducted in-depth interviews with 14 residents living in the Utica Mill Hill community. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Using Community-Engaged Research to Explore Social Determinants of Health in a Low-Resource Community in the Dominican Republic: A Community Health Assessment

Hispanic Health Care International, 2019

Introduction: Previously published community health assessments (CHA) have explored social determ... more Introduction: Previously published community health assessments (CHA) have explored social determinants of health in low-resource, Haitian-majority Dominican communities. The present CHA was conducted in Las Malvinas II, a Dominican-majority low-resource community, and represented a first step for developing a building a healthier community process. Method: A binational community–academic partnership adapted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s CHANGE (Community Health Assessment and Group Evaluation) guide to conduct a CHA through community-engaged, mixed-methods research. Data were collected on five community selected public health priorities (i.e., education, sanitation, unwanted pregnancies, chronic disease management, and vaccine-preventable diseases) and community assets through focus groups, interviews with key informants, and a household survey using GIS (geographical information systems) technology. Results: Of all five priorities, unwanted pregnancies and sanit...