142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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309667
Assessing the Food, Tobacco, and Alcohol Point of Sale Environment in New Orleans: Findings from a Mixed Methods Study

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 8:50 AM - 9:10 AM

Alexandra Priebe, PHD (c), MPH, MA , Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
Thomas Carton, PhD , Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
Heather Farb, MPH , Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
Lauren Czaplicki, MPH , Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
Megan Tulikangas, MPP , Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
John K. Gerig, MPH , Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
E. Cannon Ledford, MPH , Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
Lindsey Rudov, MPH(c) , Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
Sarah Donahue, MPH Candidate , Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
Jaffer Shariff, MPH, BDS , Division of Evaluation and Research, Louisiana Public Health Institute, New Orleans, LA
Iben Ricket, MPH , Epidemiology, LSUHSC School of Public Health, New Orleans, LA
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Issues: The distribution and availability of health-impacting products within retail outlets can influence food, alcohol and tobacco consumption at the individual and community level. To research this issue, LPHI utilized a mixed methods approach to better understand point of sale (POS) tactics related to the 4 Ps (product, placement, pricing, and promotion) of food, alcohol, and tobacco in New Orleans. This study has important implications for understanding the definition of a “healthy store” and informing future policy.

Methods:  A mixed methods approach provided complementary quantitative and qualitative data. To collect quantitative data on availability, pricing, placement, and promotion of these products, a census of 465 retails stores were surveyed. To gain an in-depth understanding of variations in POS strategies across neighborhoods, eight neighborhoods were selected as case studies using store owner interviews and a visual analysis.  Ordinal probit regressions were used to investigate associations between the number of tobacco, alcohol, and healthy food outlets per neighborhood and neighborhood median per capita income. A thematic analysis of storeowner interviews and photos was conducted using Atlas.ti.

Findings:  Preliminary analyses highlight disparities in the location of tobacco, alcohol, and healthy food outlets across neighborhoods. Lower income neighborhoods included a higher numbers of tobacco and alcohol outlets and lower numbers of healthy food outlets per capita. Qualitative data support these findings and provide a contextual understanding of factors that influence the 4Ps.  Findings from this mixed-methods approach reveal possibilities for targeted community intervention and avenues for policy change.

Learning Areas:

Public health or related public policy
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe findings from a mixed methods study assessing the food, alcohol, and tobacco point of sale environment in New Orleans. Compare and contrast the variation in retail environment by neighborhood and examine the policy implications.

Keyword(s): Health Disparities/Inequities, Marketing

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the co-principal investigator of the New Orleans Point of Sale Study. I was responsible for the designing, execution and analysis of the qualitative data collection for this study.
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: 3026.0: Healthography and the Food Environment