Associations between perceived healthy food availability and dietary intake: The modifying role of the social environment

Associations between measures of perceived food availability and dietary intake have been established. However, larger influences of the neighborhood environment on perceived healthy food availability (PHFA) and dietary intake warrant continued investigation. Elements of the social environment are associated with decreased morbidity and increased positive health behaviors. We hypothesize there will be a main effect association between PHFA and dietary intake, with a significant moderating effect of the social environment. Data for this study was collected in 2002 from a multiethnic sample of 919 adults in three neighborhoods across a large, urban Midwestern City. Individual level measures of the social environment were created from sense of community and civic participation variables. Dietary intake patterns were assessed using measures from a food frequency questionnaire. PHFA was captured using a validated 5 item scale. We used SAS v.9.2 to construct multivariate regression models to examine the moderating role of social environment variables on the association between PHFA and dietary intake. Results from this analysis will improve public health efforts to promote healthy dietary practices in urban communities. Specifically, a significant main effect of PHFA on dietary intake will support existing literature on the effects of subjective measures, such as the perceived food environment, on dietary intake. A significant modifying effect of social environment variables may improve the specificity of public health interventions seeking change in dietary health behaviors to consider the role of environmental measures that effect individual level perception.