Availability and price of healthy food and diabetes/obesity disparities in Baltimore city: Policy implications in an environmental justice area

Neighborhood disadvantage has consistently been associated with increased risk of diabetes and obesity, even after controlling for individual SES, suggesting that features of the neighborhood may play a causal role. The nutrition environment is one of the mechanisms through which socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in diabetes and obesity may occur. A multilevel epidemiologic study was conducted by Franco (the author) et al to investigate the association of food availability and food prices in neighborhood stores with individual outcomes as dietary intake, diabetes and obesity. We collected primary data from 240 food stores in the city and county of Baltimore in 121 neighborhoods where 983 study participants reside. Low income and African American neighborhoods were found to lack the availability of dietary guidelines recommended foods. The price of several food items was found to be significantly higher in these impoverished areas. Populations leaving in these areas have lower rates of car ownership reducing their chances of grocery shopping in large scale retailers that offer healthier options at affordable prices.

In this session we will discuss the policy implications of health disparities in areas characterized by nutrition environments lacking the dietary guidelines recommended foods. Special attention will be placed to policies directly addressing the availability and affordability of healthy foods; • Policies promoting the collaborations between community organizations, large scale food retailers and city planning departments. • Policies related to food distribution

Finally public health research recommendations will be discussed to advance the prevention of relevant diseases as diabetes and obesity.