241957 Associations between availability and intake of commonly consumed and culturally specific fruits and vegetables in ethnically diverse urban neighborhoods

Wednesday, November 2, 2011: 12:48 PM

Betty T. Izumi, PhD, MPH, RD , School of Community Health, Portland State University, Portland, OR
Shannon N. Zenk, PhD , College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Amy J. Schulz, PhD , School of Public Health, Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Graciela B. Mentz, PhD , Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Causandra Gaines, MSW , Brightmoor Community Center, Detroit, MI
INTRODUCTION: Increasingly, researchers are emphasizing the importance of addressing neighborhood disparities in food access to achieve health equity. In the United States, African-Americans and Latinos are disproportionately affected by diet-related chronic diseases. Yet, most studies have focused on foods commonly consumed in the general population, with few studies examining associations between the availability of foods preferred among different ethnic groups and individual intakes. The purpose of this community-based participatory research study was to examine associations between neighborhood availability of commonly consumed and culturally specific fruits and vegetables and individual intakes of these foods in an ethnically diverse adult sample in Detroit. METHODS: This study used data from the Healthy Environments Partnership's 2007-2008 community survey (n=463) and 2008-2009 food store audits (n=167) conducted in survey participants' residential neighborhoods. Dependent variables include: mean daily total, commonly consumed, and culturally specific (African-American, Latino) fruit and vegetable servings. Independent variables include: neighborhood availability of commonly consumed and culturally specific fruits and vegetables. Relationships are estimated using hierarchical linear modeling, adjusting for individual covariates. RESULTS: Availability of commonly consumed and culturally specific fruits and vegetables by neighborhood racial/ethnic composition will be presented, along with relationships between neighborhood availability and individual consumption. DISCUSSION: The results may reveal the importance of improving the availability of fruits and vegetables preferred among different ethnic groups in order to increase fruit and vegetable intake. We will discuss implications of our study for future research on food environments in ethnically diverse neighborhoods and for interventions and policies to promote health equity.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Environmental health sciences
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
1. Discuss the need to consider culturally specific foods in studies of the neighborhood food environment. 2. Describe associations between neighborhood availability of commonly consumed and culturally specific fruits and vegetables and individuals intakes of these foods in ethnically diverse urban neighborhoods. 3. Discuss potential program and policy options for improving food access in ethnically diverse urban neighborhoods.

Keywords: Access and Services, Nutrition

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I participated in training observers to collect data for the current study and am involved in data analysis and dissemination of the current (and related studies). I am currently teaching Public Health Nutrition and Food System Sustainability. Other focus areas include nutrition, the built environment, community-based food systems, health disparities, and community-based participatory research.
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.