“Perceived Barriers to Micronutrient-Rich Diets Among Charitable-Service Users in Two European Settings: A Qualitative Pilot Study” is the title of the qualitative study, published by the EU-funded Zero Hidden Hunger EU project.
The study involved eight focus groups with 68 beneficiaries of charitable organisations in Trieste (Italy) and Olsztyn (Poland), including food-assistance recipients, refugees and asylum seekers. Participants described economic, physical, time-related, informational, social, cultural and organisational barriers affecting their ability to access and consume foods rich in vitamins and minerals. These included high prices and competing household expenses, transport and work constraints, inadequate cooking or storage facilities, limited availability through food assistance, concerns about food quality, culturally incompatible food provision, and difficulties accessing professional nutrition guidance. Importantly, many of these barriers did not occur in isolation. Participants expressed preferences for obtaining micronutrients through foods they perceived as fresh, minimally processed, local or culturally appropriate, while affordability and availability could restrict their ability to act on those preferences.
Read the full press release and the article.
