Trying to Eat Healthy A Photovoice Study About Women's Access to Healthy Food in New York City

Photovoice is a participatory action approach in which individuals use photographs to identify and address issues in their community. The objective of this study was to document the challenges that low-income women face in accessing healthy food in New York city. Data were drawn from focus-group interviews with nine low-income women aged 20-45. The findings indicated that low-income women who live in homeless shelters have less access to healthy food, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, than do other women. They speak of the broader issue of structural barriers to eating healthy that women in impoverished urban communities face. Even with these constraints, women are not powerless and instead find ways to exercise personal agency.