Previous studies show supermarkets contain a larger selection of healthy foods at lower prices therefore we hypothesized that residents with local supermarkets will have healthier diets. The diets of 11,253 Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study participants residing in two-hundred sixteen census tracts located in Jackson Mississippi; Forsyth County, North Carolina; Washington County, Maryland and suburbs of Minneapolis Minnesota were studied. Based on the American Heart Association Dietary Guidelines, people eating five servings of fruits or vegetables per day were compared to people consuming less than five servings. Black Americans' consumption of fruits and vegetables increased by 23% for each additional supermarket in a census tract (Relative Risk (RR)=1.23, 95 percent confidence interval (95% CI) [1.12, 1.35]). No difference was observed for white Americans (RR=1.02, 95% CI [0.99, 1.05]). We also compared people who reported consuming less than 30% of daily calories from fat to people who reported a daily intake of greater than 30%. Black Americans living in census tracts without a supermarket consumed on average 22% more calories from fat than black Americans living in tracts with one or more supermarkets (RR=1.22, 95% CI [1.07, 1.40]). White Americans living in areas with no supermarkets consumed on average 8% more calories from fat (RR=1.08, 95% CI [1.02, 1.14]). Reported salt intake is not lower in areas with supermarkets. Our crude findings suggest that local supermarkets may be beneficial for achieving a healthy diet. This abstract does not necessarily reflect EPA policy.
Learning Objectives: Learn new methods for evaluating dietary intake
Keywords: Access and Services, Environment
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.