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Caroline Webber K'73
Caroline Webber K'73
Caroline Webber K'73, assistant professor of nutrition and dietetics, Western Michigan Univeristy, presented a paper at the Society for Nutrition Education Annual Conference. Webber's study examined a rise in gasoline price and the food buying habits of low-income, ethnically-diverse families.  After graduating from Kirkland College, Webber continued her education at the University of California, Berkeley where she earned a bachelor's of science and then an MPH at the University of Minnesota. She acquired her Ph.D. at Cornell University.

According to an article published in Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (Volume 41, Number 4S, 2009) the purpose of the study was to learn from first-hand accounts about how rising gasoline prices have affected grocery shopping for fruits and vegetables by low-income households, including migrant workers, in southwest Michigan.

A majority of participants reported changes in shopping habits related to the rising cost of gasoline but found ways to cope. In some cases this improved food choice decisions, but for others consequences were mostly negative.

Webber's cautioned against extrapolating beyond the study population. However, structural changes affecting gasoline prices are likely to continue to impact food-buying habits of low-income shoppers dependent on cars. Incorporating messages that address food access issues may become increasingly important in nutrition education programs as this plays a bigger role in food choice decision making. Her work was supported by funds from the Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award, Western Michigan University.

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