Enacted social support in a community kitchen: Locally-developed strategies for mitigating food inequities

background Food security improvement for vulnerable individuals, households, and communities can reduce inequities in health. Social support provision (SSP) is a significant mediator of food security and health for groups and individuals. This presentation discusses SSP in a local food initiative, the Family Community Kitchen (CK) Project, to illuminate supportive behaviors or acts that contribute to food security-related and health outcomes in low-income participants. methods Case study methods were used to identify and describe SSP in the Family CK Project over a period of three months. results Four types of SSP were exchanged in the Family CK Project between participants. These types include: informational, emotional, appraisal and tangible support provision. Several major themes emerged from the data related to each type of SSP. Results describe themes within each type of SSP. conclusions These findings significantly enrich the literature on SSP as a mediator of food security and health by focusing on enacted rather than perceived social support. Findings reveal locally-developed strategies for mitigating food inequities and support policy solutions that prioritize locally-developed initiatives in marginalized areas. Nursing practice recommendations include the use of a SSP measurement tool to provide a more proximal indicator of initiative outcomes and a deeper understanding of how local initiatives work to support food security and health.