An Examination of Urban Honolulu Nutrition Environments by Store Type

More than 75% of US adults do not eat recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables, with low-income adults and ethnic minorities at higher risk. Honolulu Hawaii has a unique local nutrition environment, impacted by high costs of living, island location, and the largest non-Hispanic minority population in the US. This study assessed the availability, cost, and quality of fresh produce by store type, area income and ethnicity for urban Honolulu. A list of food outlets within downtown Honolulu was created and 85 stores were randomly chosen and assessed. One hundred percent of supermarkets and farmer's markets (FM) and 44% of grocery stores had high produce availability; significantly more so than convenience stores and pharmacies (p<0.001). Produce items were significantly more expensive at convenience stores than all other store types (p<0.01). High average quality ratings were found at 81% of supermarkets, 75% of FMs, 48% of convenience stores, 40% of pharmacies, and 35% of grocery stores. Pharmacies and FMs were most common in the highest income areas, while grocery stores were most prevalent in the lowest income areas. Despite the high availability and quality of fruits and vegetables at supermarkets and FMs, supermarkets were open longer hours and were available in all income areas. These data can help inform health promotion professionals about the local nutrition environment in Honolulu, especially in areas of lower income. Potential initiatives can focus on increasing availability of FMs in Honolulu and allowing the use of food stamps at FMs.