The relationship between diet and chronic disease has been well established. Nevertheless, achieving a healthful diet for some individuals is difficult. One barrier may be found in the distribution of neighborhood food stores and food service places. Two hundred and sixteen census tracts located in Jackson MS, Forsyth County NC, Washington County MD and suburbs of Minneapolis MN were studied. Business names and addresses of all establishments where people can obtain food were collected from the local departments of health and agriculture in each of the four study areas. Average house values were collected from the 1990 Bureau of the Census as a measure of neighborhood wealth along with demographic data. More food stores are located in wealthier neighborhoods, with a larger prevalence of supermarkets, convenience stores and specialty food stores in particular. The prevalence of places to consume alcoholic beverages is three times more common in poor neighborhoods than wealthy neighborhoods (0.79 versus 0.24 per census tract). Regarding neighborhood segregation, there are seven times fewer supermarkets in predominately black neighborhoods compared to predominately non-black neighborhoods (0.14 versus 0.99 per census tract). These findings have implications for residents of poor and minority neighborhoods. Without equal access to supermarkets, which offer a wide variety of foods at lower prices, these communities do not have equal access to the variety of healthy food choices available to non-minority and wealthy communities.
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to: 1. Identify characterisitics of the local food environment which may contibute to unhealthy diets 2. Apply research techniques to future studies
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.