Control Over Food and Autonomy in Life: A Qualitative Study With Low-Income Consumers

Abstract

Past research suggests interrelationships between housing, sense of autonomy, health behaviors, and overall mental and physical health, raising the possibility of similar interrelationships for another basic need, namely food. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between low perceived control over food acquisition, preparation, and consumption, and sense of autonomy in life in general among people with resource constraints. To explore this relationship, we conducted qualitative interviews between March and November 2022 with 34 participants who met federal criteria for having an income at or below the poverty level. Interview participants were recruited from four U.S. states: two in the Northeast, one in the South, and one in the West. Topics included ideal eating patterns, constraints to the goal eating pattern, the role of food in life, and the relationship between perceived control over food and autonomy in life in general. We used a directed qualitative content analysis approach to data analysis. Participants described a central role of food in maintaining health, including mental health, and they aspired to an eating pattern related to this role. Because of constraints, most did not feel a strong sense of control over food, which they associated with lacking a strong sense of autonomy in life in general. Additional qualitative and quantitative research is needed to test and expand our findings. A better understanding of the relationship between food and a general sense of autonomy can help inform food assistance programs and policies.