Food Access Research for Equity in Nutrition
Food Access Research for Equity in Nutrition
Our research employs community-based and social science perspectives to investigate how the stress of marginalization, especially food insecurity, shapes food choice and dietary intake and gets ‘under the skin’ to impact cardiometabolic risk and allostatic load among low-income and historically-marginalized populations, particularly Hispanics/Latinos. Simultaneously, our research aims to identify and leverage existing capacities (i.e., assets), as a part of behavior-change interventions embedded in existing infrastructure (e.g., federally-qualified health centers, food assistance programs), to mitigate the stress of marginalization and promote food security, nutritious diets, and cardiometabolic health equity.
Capacity-oriented approaches to food security, diet quality, and cardiovascular disease risk among Hispanics/Latinos
The role of neighborhood and household food environments and food shopping behaviors in shaping diet quality and glucose metabolism among Hispanic/Latino youth and their caregivers
Measuring food insecurity in Latinx families: expanding understanding of their experiences through exploratory interviewing and cognitive testing
Exploring the causes and consequences of food insecurity, and strategies to mitigate food insecurity, among full-time undergraduates at an Hispanic, Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Island Serving Institution
Grassroots, resident-led nonprofit improving fresh food access in Southeastern San Diego
Amanda C. McClain, PhD, MS
Associate Professor
San Diego State University
Dr. McClain earned her PhD in 2016 from the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University and then completed a postdoctoral research fellowship in the Department of Nutrition at Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health before joining SDSU as faculty in 2018.
Volunteer research assistant
Volunteer
BS in Foods and Nutrition
Volunteer
Volunteer research assistant
Volunteer
BS in Kinesiology
MS in Nutritional Sciences
Volunteer research assistant
Volunteer research assistant
BS in Foods and Nutrition
Concurrent MS in Exercise Physiology, Nutritional Sciences
Volunteer/Research Specialist II
Past MPH mentee
Registered Dietitian, Kaiser Permanente
PhD Candidate in SDSU-UCSD Public Health, Global Health
PhD Student in Nutrition and Integrative Physiology, University of Utah
Epidemiology Analyst, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Registered Dietitian, Rady Children's Hospital
Registered Dietitian
PhD Candidate in Nutritional Biology, UC Davis
Student, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine Program
Registered Dietitian, Community Medical Centers
Registered Dietitian, San Ysidro Health PACE program
MS student, Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State University
Housing Specialist, Community Research Foundation
Student, Physician Assistant Program, University of Southern California
Registered Dietitian
Registered Dietitian, NationsBenefits
Registered Dietitian, Kaiser Permanente
Registered Dietitian, Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health
This qualitative study aims to understand the experiences and perspectives of key informants from diverse food- and nutrition-related stakeholder agencies regarding existing multi-level capacities to address food insecurity in San Diego County, CA. We also explore COVID-19 pandemic-specific experiences of these agencies as well as their approaches to working with Hispanic/Latino communities.
Morales, L.*, Yowell, L.*, Molina, T.*, Smith, C.*, Arizcuren, J.*, McClain A.C.† (2023). Across-agency partnerships and within-agency capacities facilitate holistic, tailored approaches to addressing food insecurity: a qualitative study. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 123(12), 1749-1762.e2. DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2023.07.024
*student mentee, † senior author
Check out a summary of findings!
Smith, C.E.*, Enns, K.*, Molina, T.*, Doolan, E.*, & McClain, A.C. † (2025). “We didn’t turn away people”: perspectives of key informants at stakeholder agencies in San Diego County, CA in meeting the food insecurity demands during the COVID-19 pandemic. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 15(1), ibaf016. DOI: 10.1093/tbm/ibaf016.
*student mentee, † senior author
This cross-sectional quantitative study uses cohort data from the multi-site Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos to identify existing human, social, material, and cultural capital promoting food security, healthy diets, and favorable cardiometabolic risk profiles among U.S. Hispanic/Latino adults.
We are currently conducting focus groups with Hispanic/Latino adult patients at San Ysidro Health to inform development of a capacity-oriented behavior change intervention. These focus groups were informed by our findings from the San Diego Community Stakeholder Study and the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.
This cross-sectional quantitative study employs latent class analysis of data from caregivers and their children enrolled in the multi-site Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos . The goal is to understand the roles of the perceived neighborhood food environment and food shopping behaviors in promoting food security, a healthy home food environment, healthy diet quality, and favorable glucose metabolism among Hispanic/Latino families .
McClain, A.C., Castro, R.J.,*Helm, J.L., Isasi, C.R., Perreira, K.M., Mattei, J., Ayala, G.X., Mossavar-Rahmani, Y., Sotres-Alvarez, D., Daviglus, M., Van Horn, L., Talavera, G.A., & Gallo, L.C. (In press). Characterizing household food security status, perceived neighborhood food environment, and food shopping behaviors among caregivers of children in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Youth ancillary study (SOL-Youth). Health and Place. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2025.103503.
*student mentee
New York Regional Center for Diabetes Translation Research Pilot and Feasibility grant program
Project MESA, or Improving Hope for Food Security, uses cognitive interviewing to understand how well items from the USDA 18-item Household Food Security Module reflect the experiences of Latino/a caregivers and how they understand, interpret, and perceive the items and response options.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the U.S. household food security measurement, the USDA provided competitive grant funding to further food security measurement. Proyecto MESA was one of 6 projects selected for funding.
McClain, A.C., †† Johnson, C.M., ††DiRado-Owens, C., & Dickin, K.L. (In press). How do Latina/o/x parents interpret and respond to the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module? A qualitative cognitive interviewing study. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
††shared first authorship
The Conversation: "US food insecurity surveys aren’t getting accurate data regarding Latino families"
Cornell: "Are we tracking food insecurity correctly? Study takes a closer look"
Houston Chronicle: "Food insecurity surveys get inaccurate data on Latino families, report finds"
KQED Forum with Mina Kim: "More Californians struggling with food insecurity"
Using data from the National Collegiate Health Assessment III, we documented the association of food security status with psychological distress and loneliness among full-time undergraduate students.
Guzman, P.G.*,Lange, J.E., & McClain, A.C.† (2022). The association between food security status and psychological distress and loneliness among full-time undergraduate students at a minority-serving institution. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(22), 15245. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192215245
*student mentee, † senior author
Student athletes at a minority-serving institution, like SDSU, encounter unique challenges to maintaining food security. Using a cross-sectional survey, we aim to identify sociodemographic and personal determinants of food security status among Division 1 student-athletes.
Montejano, J.,*Twombly, A., Gombatto, S., McClain, A.C.† (In press). Determinants of food security status and perceived hunger affecting athletic performance among NCAA division I student-athletes at a minority-serving institution. Journal of American College Health. DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2025.2522729.
*student mentee, † senior author
The PPMFM opened its doors in October 2022, increasing access to healthy food by bringing fresh produce from local farmers to communities across greater Southeastern San Diego. You can find the PPMFM at various sites each week.
Each semester, Dr. McClain's students, including those enrolled in her NUTR 510: Community Nutrition course, provide nutrition education to customers at the PPMFM.
Through funding from a Danone Institute One Planet One Health Initiative Innovation Award, Project New Village was able to establish and sustain a residential food growers and farmers community of practice.
My teaching and mentoring philosophy is grounded in the experiences I had growing up in a working-class household in a low-income neighborhood in Memphis, TN, a city disproportionally impacted by generations of unaddressed poverty and racism. For me, education was the key to escaping this cycle, while also preparing me to play an integral role in improving the lives of individuals from marginalized backgrounds and communities. Much like my research, I use a capacity-oriented approach with students in my classroom and on my research team — I aim to guide and empower students to leverage their own existing assets and to work collectively as a team to complement each individual team member's assets in pursuit of a common goal. Fundamental to the FARE Nutrition research team is the notion that having a positive impact on the health and well-being of our communities requires a complementary and committed community of people working together.
Whether you are a researcher or a student, let us know if you are interested in collaborating!
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