Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #114957

Kimberly B. Morland, PhD¹, Salima Jones-Daley, BA², Susan E. Williams¹, Laura Sanzel, MS², Chris Dugan, BA³, Tischelle George, BA³, Rosalind Knox, BA³, and Shauneequa Owusu, BA³. (1) Community and Preventive Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1057, New York, NY 10029, 212-241-7531, kimberly.morland@mssm.edu, (2) Local Development Corporation of East New York, 80 Jamaica Avenue, 3rd Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11207, (3) Hunter College, 695 Park Ave, New York, NY 10021

Previous studies indicate there are racial and economic disparities in the types of food stores available in neighborhoods and the availability of certain food stores is associated with residents' diets. We have conducted extensive food store surveys comparing the availability of fruits and vegetables between neighborhoods in Brooklyn, New York. A list of prevalent food stores was obtained from the State of New York Department of Agriculture and Markets and addresses were geocoded to 2000 US Bureau defined census tracts. A random ten percent of food stores were selected from each area and evaluated for the presence, variety, cost and quality of fruits (apricots, apples, avocados, bananas, berries, cherries, grapefruit, grapes, lemons, limes, mangoes, melons, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums and tomatoes) and vegetables (asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, beets, carrots, celery, cauliflower, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, leafy greens, mushrooms, okra, parsnips, peas, peppers, potatoes, snow peas and squash) (n=85). Analyses compared the prevalence of each type of produce by quartiles neighborhood wealth. A 25% higher prevalence of stores in the low-medium wealth areas and a 90% greater prevalence of stores in the medium high areas carried fresh fruits compared to the lowest wealth areas. Regarding fresh vegetables, a 60% higher prevalence in the availbility of vegetables was observed in the low-medium areas and an 80% greater prevalence in the medium high areas were observed compared to the lowest wealth areas.

Learning Objectives:

• Regognized the differences in the physical availability of healthy foods. Identify the potential impact the availabilty of fresh produce has on residents' health.

Keywords: Environmental Health, Food and Nutrition

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.