245193 A mixed method approach to understanding the food environment of seven American Indian Tribes in North Carolina

Tuesday, November 1, 2011: 11:06 AM

Sheila Fleischhacker, PhD, JD , Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Daniel A. Rodriguez, PhD , Department of City and Regional Planning, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Kelly R. Evenson, PhD , Department of Epidemiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
Amanda Henley, MA , Davis Library Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Amy Vastine Ries, PhD , Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Maihan B. Vu, DrPH, MPH , Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Dolly Soto, MURP Candidate , Urban and Regional Planning, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
Gowri Ramachandran, BS Candidate , Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
No studies, to our knowledge, have rigorously examined the food environment within American Indian settings. This project used a mixed method approach to examine the food environment in rural and urban American Indian settings in North Carolina. Zip codes (n=78) and counties (n=21) co-locating with the US Census 2010 State Designated Tribal Statistical Areas (SDTSAs) for seven North Carolina Tribes were determined and used to gather information on food outlets from five intermediate data sources. All primary, secondary, and local roads within the SDTSA were also ground-truthed, using Global Positioning Systems to determine the location and type of all observed food outlets. Only 77% of the outlets observed in the field matched existing intermediate data sources (531 out of 684 ground-truthed outlets), indicating more attention is needed to improve the validity and reliability of existing data sources in rural settings. Convenience stores with grills were the predominant food source within rural American Indian settings. Modified Talking Circles (n=7; in total, 33 participants) and key informant interviews (n=40) provided further insights on food sources, such as the home, land, and gardens, not identified through spatial data. Convenience stores with grills, Super Walmart, dollar stores, and fast food restaurants are common outlets for community members, often challenging them to purchase and prepare healthy, affordable foods on a regular basis. A combination of spatial and qualitative data provided an innovative evidence-based approach to identify policy strategies at the Tribal level to improve access to healthy, affordable foods.

Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Environmental health sciences
Public health or related laws, regulations, standards, or guidelines
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe how to use qualitative and spatial methodologies to measure the food environment of seven American Indian Tribes in North Carolina.

Keywords: American Indians, Food and Nutrition

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I developed, implemented, and evaluated the data collection, analysis, and manuscript preparations.
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.