307451
Fruit and Vegetable Availability, Quality, & Consumption in Detroit's Food Desert among African American Adolescents with Obesity
Methods: The availability, price, and quality of FV in Detroit grocery stores (n=76) were evaluated using the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey (NEMS-S). Surveys were repeated for 10% of store locations to account for test-retest reliability and each independent surveyor (n=8) was evaluated on inter-rater reliability for FV quality acceptability. The Block Food Frequency Questionnaire and questions related to store walkability were collected from 126 African American Adolescents with obesity (AAAO).
Results: Inter-rater and test-retest reliabilities were within acceptable ranges (0.81-0.95 and 0.62-0.95). Acceptability of all FV was 68-100%, with only 4 stores <80%. FV access was not correlated with AAAO FV consumption (r's<0.08). Mean daily fruit (including juice) and vegetable consumption was 1.15+/-1.25 and 1.22+/-1.49, respectively. Overall, 87% of AAAO were found to live within the 1 mile radius of a grocery store with at least 15 varieties of FV and 72% of families “strongly agreed” that it was easy to walk to the store.
Discussion: Availability of FV for AAAO in Detroit presents a contradiction to the “food desert” label. Proximity cannot be used as either an indicator or a proxy for healthy habits. Changes to the built environment must be paired with significant community outreach or intervention. A host of social, economic, and cultural factors need to be examined to understand what drives consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health educationChronic disease management and prevention
Learning Objectives:
Demonstrate the association between food environment and obesity.
Evaluate the food environment as it relates to habits of individuals with obesity.
Keyword(s): Built Environment, Obesity
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have spent the last 5 years studying food access in Detroit and conducted NEMS study of grocery stores. Additionally, I have worked on a U01 NIH grant funded on obesity for the last 3 years in Detroit.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.