FORT VALLEY, Ga. — Fort Valley State University is using research they've found to advance the quality of water in the community and bring better-quality foods with better prices to local markets.
Dr. Oreta Samples is one of the coordinators of the master's program at the university.
Samples and some of her students are researching ways to keep quality water in the area.
"We really like to try to test the waters in certain areas just to help the residents feel a little bit safer about the water that surrounds them," Samples says.
Caroline Obi is an international student at the university. She is obtaining her masters in public health.
Obi is researching why communities like Fort Valley have higher health risks.
She says one issue causing an increase in food-related diseases in the area is produce becoming more expensive than fast foods.
"What we find is the difference in prices and how that contributes to food insecurity out here in Fort Valley, because we have a lot of fast food restaurants, which is not healthy for the most part," Obi says.
The school says they're hoping to get more health officials involved who can help reduce the cost of healthy foods and bring more markets to the community, so that families can have more access to produce.