142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Food Access, consumption and shopping patterns in two low income neighborhoods in New Orleans

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 : 5:30 PM - 5:50 PM

Jeanette Gustat, PhD , Department of Epidemiology; Prevention Research Center, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
Yu-Sheng Lee , Department of Epidmeiology, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
Keelia O'Malley, MPH , Prevention Research Center, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
Brian Luckett, PhD, MPH , Prevention Research Center, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, ME
Leann Myers, PhD , Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
Leonetta Terrell , Friends of Lafitte Corridor, New Orleans, LA
Lisa Amoss , Broad Community Commections, New Orleans, LA
Erin Fitzgerald, MPH , Division of Community Health, Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
Peter T. Stevenson , Recreation, Health and Wellness, Dillard University, New Orleans, LA
Carolyn C. Johnson, PhD , Global Community Health and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Introduction:  Having a supermarket in close proximity may be important to a healthy diet. New Orleans is known to be underserved in the number of supermarkets. Food consumption and shopping patterns were examined in two low-income neighborhoods without a supermarket.

Methods: In-person interviews were conducted between October 2012 and April 2013 in two comparable neighborhoods with 901 adults who identified themselves as the primary household shopper. Respondents were asked where and how often they shopped and answered a food frequency questionnaire.  Addresses were geocoded and distance was calculated to the stores where respondents shopped. Multivariable methods will be used to examine the relationship between shopping habits  and healthy/unhealthy diet patterns.

Results: The mean age of respondents was 48.1 (±16.9) years. Over half (50.6%) were on Medicaid or Medicare and 66.3% had an annual income less than $25,000. Average daily servings of fresh produce and snack foods was 2.5 (1.9) and 2.1 (1.1), respectively. Average distance to the closest supermarket was 1 mile for all respondents; however, on average respondents reported traveling 2.8 miles to a store with 9 shopping trips per month. A profile of healthy/unhealthy eating patterns by shopping habits will be presented.

Discussion:  Shopping at a store in close proximity may be related to more frequent trips and may be important to increased consumption of fresh produce.  This has implications for store citing and programs that increase supermarket access.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe factors related to healthy and unhealthy diet patterns . Explain the relationship of distance to a supermarket and healthy and unhealthy diet patterns.

Keyword(s): Low-Income, Behavioral Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am principle investigator of the study. I have been an investigator with the Prevention Research Center since 2005. Among my scientific interests has been the relationship between the environment and health including food access in low income neighborhoods.
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.

Back to: 4423.0: Improving the food environment in underserved areas.