David Himmelgreen
Title: Assistant Professor
Specialty: Community health, nutrition, HIV/AIDS prevention and education.
Contact Information:
Department of Anthropology USF College of Arts and Sciences
Phone: (813) 974-1204
E-mail this USF Collaborative Partner
Details:
Topics of expertise:
Community health, nutrition, HIV/AIDS prevention and education.
Educational and professional background:
Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Anthropology, State University of New York at Binghamton. Master’s in Anthropology and Doctorate in Biological Anthropology, State University of New York at Buffalo.
What was your Collaborative grant and what did you learn from it?
“Aculturation and nutrition needs assessment of Tampa (ANNA-T). The Collaborative grant provided a way for me to find out about the Hispanic community in Tampa, which is very diverse. I studied nutrition and access issues among low-income Hispanic families, including many recently arrived immigrants. Limited income, among other factors constrains the ability of many of these families to consume a healthy diet. For example, fresh fruit and vegetables are quite expensive by Latin American standards. It affects immigrant groups and their ‘food security.’ ”
Have you done other community-oriented grants?
“For four years I worked for the Hispanic Health Council (a community-based research and service organization) in Hartford, Conn. One-third of the population is Hispanic, with more than 90 percent reporting to be Puerto Rican. I was involved in several major grants in HIV/AIDS prevention and community nutrition. I learned a lot about community participatory research and empowerment models at the Hispanic Health Council and have used this knowledge in the projects that I have been working on in Tampa. Locally, I’ve worked on two projects in addition to ANNA-T. Project PAN (Promoting Adequate Nutrition) was funded by the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County. It was a culturally tailored nutrition education project that offered interactive seminars for promoting health and disease prevention through healthy eating to low-income Hispanic families, and it also attracted many recently-arrived immigrants. As part of PAN, we provided information about local health and social services, food assistance, as well as referrals. Another is Project New Life, Good Health, funded by the Allegheny Franciscan Foundation, Children’s Board and the USF Areas Health Education Center. It’s a two-year project with nutrition education seminars and a church-based farmer’s market that not only offers low cost fruits and vegetables but provides a venue for nutrition education, social service providers, social services and some health screenings.”
What have you learned from your research that you wish every professional knew?
“It’s important for other academic disciplines and communities to understand the importance of the backgrounds of people - where and how they live – and the physical/social/environmental cultures that affect people’s health.”
What have you learned from your research that you wish every student knew?
“Students need to do ‘field work,’ going out and being a participant observer. You don’t have to live in the community you are studying, but you should spend a lot of time there.”
What do you think is the biggest issue in your field right now?
“In my research, the biggest issue is the obesity epidemic, which is not only affecting industrialized countries but also becoming a problem in developing countries. Anthropology has an important role in understanding the epidemic and in coming up with approaches to combat the problem. As a nutritional anthropologist, I focus not only on the biological factors that might predispose populations to obesity but also the socio-cultural factors related to food access, eating habits, and the ways in which people view the obesity problem cross-culturally. It’s not just telling people that they need to change their behaviors. They also need to have the resources and support in order to be able to make choices that are conducive with good health. This comes through knowledge and access. From a global perspective, people are much more connected with one another than in the past, and this is a good thing. However, there are many more processed foods which are carbohydrate dense and high in fat and refined sugar. This is part of the challenge in combating obesity during the upcoming years.”
