Access to Healthy Restaurants in North Nashville, Tennessee

The goal of this CDC-funded Nashville REACH 2010 project was to determine whether restaurants in North Nashville, Tennessee were less healthy than those located in other parts of the city. In doing so, we aimed to monitor the environmental support for and barriers to healthy eating in North Nashville. Using GIS, we identified and mapped the restaurants in Davidson County, Tennessee (n=1,110). Using menus from the restaurants, a healthy options score was calculated for each restaurant. An eight-point scale was used that encompassed the availability of the following: 1) salad, 2) non-red meat, 3) non-fried meat, 4) vegetable other than potatoes, 5) low-fat or non-fat dairy products, 6) condiments served on the side, 7) non-carbonated, sugar-free drinks, and also the ability to substitute healthier side items for those less healthy (i.e. fruit cup instead of French fries). Results indicated that no statistical difference exists in healthiness of restaurants between North Nashville and the rest of Davidson County. Furthermore, the percentage of the restaurants in North Nashville that are fast food chains (42%) is not statistically different than the percentage that are fast food chains outside of North Nashville (37%) (p=0.43). Despite the fact that no differences existed, this project was beneficial because it showed that individuals can eat healthy in any part of the city. More research is needed to determine what other environmental characteristics (such as availability of comprehensive grocery stores, accessibility to fresh fruits/vegetables, etc.) might influence obesity and chronic disease levels in specific geographic areas.