172279 Food environment on the Navajo Nation: Availability of healthy foods by food source

Wednesday, October 29, 2008: 10:30 AM

Muge Qi, MHS , International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Joel Gittelsohn, PhD , Center for Human Nutrition, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Marla Pardilla, MPH MSW , International Health, Center for Human Nutrition, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
Kevin D. Frick, PhD , Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Sangita Sharma, PhD , Cancer Research Center, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
Elverna M. Bennett, BA , Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Jean Ann Anliker, PHD , UMass Extention, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
Allan Steckler, DrPH , Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, UNC-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Background: Food, or nutrition, environments are widely believed to contribute to the increasing obesity and chronic diseases. Obesity and diet-related chronic diseases are at epidemic levels among American Indians. However, limited information exists on the food environment in American Indian communities. As part of a USDA-funded healthy stores project on American Indian Reservations, we investigated retail food sources across the Navajo Nation. Methods: Food sources were identified through direct observation across communities on and nearby the Navajo Nation. A food source checklist, which included an inventory of 20 key categories of foods, was used to access the availability of healthy foods (lower in fat and sugar and/or higher in fiber). ANOVA and Chi-square tests were used to compare the availability of healthy foods by source. Results: Of 106 food sources identified, 41.5% were convenience stores, 17.9% small grocery stores, 17.9% trading posts, 10.4% supermarkets, 8.5% medium-sized grocery stores, and 3.8% flea markets. Most food sources carried a limited number of healthy foods. Over 72% of food sources offered £2 kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables, of which most were potatoes and onions. The availability of key healthy foods differed by food source. For instance, while 100% of supermarkets and medium-sized grocery stores offered low-fat milk, only 50% of convenience stores, 32% of small grocery stores, and 13% trading posts did. Food sources on the Navajo Nation had significantly lower availability of healthy foods compared to commonly used food sources on the reservation borders. Conclusions: Initiatives to improve the retail food environment will make a significant impact on the availability of healthy foods on the Navajo Nation.

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the retail food environment on the Navajo Nation in terms of types and number of food sources, and variations in the availability of key healthy foods. 2. Compare the availability of key healthy foods between food sources inside and outside the reservation borders. 3.Discuss the effect of retail food environment on the availability of healthy foods.

Keywords: Food and Nutrition, Environment

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am responsible for the study design, analyses, interpretations, and discussions for this paper.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.