225040 Grocery store location in an urban multiethnic community: Mapping the relations to food access, obesity and diabetes in an underserved community

Monday, November 8, 2010 : 8:30 AM - 8:45 AM

Millicent Fleming-Moran, PhD , Dept. of Epidemiology, Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County, Indianapolis, IN
Christina Mushi-Brunt, PhD, MPH , IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN
Introduction: Social determinants of health include consumers' ready access to affordable, nutritious food, including full-service groceries, but minority and high-poverty communities are less likely to have accessible national chain groceries. Indianapolis in 2008-09 was ranked among the top 25 foodhardship MSAs [19.9% families/past year]. Methods: Marion County, IN 2005 RDD survey of 4,787 respondents queried fruit and vegetable consumption, self-reported BMI and diabetes status of adults. These data, grocery inspection, and GIS census data allowed mapping analysis of the relations between high density poverty/minority areas and locations of full-service groceries per 1,000 population [with daily available wide variety of fresh produce, dairy and meat/poultry/fish items], convenience marts and licensed soup kitchens/food pantries. National chain stores were rare in high-poverty areas and most full service stores in poorer communities were locally and minority owned. The latter allowed over 94% of county adults to report access to fresh produce. However obesity and diabetes prevalence rates were greatest in areas served primarily by convenience stores and social-service/faith-based food pantries. These findings provide data for local nutrition-equity advocates, such as fiscal incentives for grocery placement; transportation strategies, local food co-ops and other mechanisms to increase community access to available grocery supplies. Implications: Social costs of low grocery availability in high-poverty census tracts are borne not only in affected communities' prevalence of obesity and diabetes, but also increases the likelihood of food insecurity in the broader population.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Chronic disease management and prevention
Epidemiology
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
Identify relationship of USDA and other indicators of limited food access to full and limited grocery store locations in the urban setting of Marion County, Indiana. Describe relationship of grocery store location and diabetes and obesity status of residents in underserved communities. Discuss policy options to further healthy food availability in urban underserved areas.

Keywords: Social Inequalities, Food and Nutrition

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a chronic disease epidemiologist researcher working with population, GIS, and other health data for the Marion County Health Department, Indianapolis IN.
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.