Does Distance Decay Modelling of Supermarket Accessibility Predict Fruit and Vegetable Intake by Individuals in a Large Metropolitan Area?

Obesity, a risk factor for hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic diseases is influenced by geographic accessibility to supermarkets, which has been shown to affect nutritional behaviors. Purpose. To determine how individual fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption was independently influenced by accessibility to supermarkets, and to quantify that relationship. Methods. A distance decay based model was specified for a random sample (n=7,514) of urban residents. Associations between FV consumption and accessibility to supermarkets were explored, controlling for factors known to influence eating behaviors. Results. There was as independent effect of accessibility to supermarkets, even after the inclusion of the significant controlling factors of age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, and knowledge of nutritional guidelines. Conclusion. Our model of accessibility was an effective predictor of FV consumption in an urban population, setting the stage for inclusion of supply and demand parameters, and estimation of local factors that contribute to differential obesity rates.

[1]  Steve Wing,et al.  The contextual effect of the local food environment on residents' diets: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study. , 2002, American journal of public health.

[2]  R. Sturm,et al.  School and residential neighborhood food environment and diet among California youth. , 2012, American journal of preventive medicine.

[3]  K. Morland,et al.  Disparities in the availability of fruits and vegetables between racially segregated urban neighbourhoods , 2007, Public Health Nutrition.

[4]  J. Marks,et al.  F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future , 2013 .

[5]  Barbara A Laraia,et al.  Proximity of supermarkets is positively associated with diet quality index for pregnancy. , 2004, Preventive medicine.

[6]  B. Caballero,et al.  Association between obesity and kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. , 2008, Kidney international.

[7]  Mario Schootman,et al.  The Role of Race and Poverty in Access to Foods That Enable Individuals to Adhere to Dietary Guidelines , 2006, Preventing chronic disease.

[8]  Donald Rose,et al.  Food store access and household fruit and vegetable use among participants in the US Food Stamp Program , 2004, Public Health Nutrition.

[9]  Lawrence J Appel,et al.  Prevalence of obesity in the United States. , 2014, JAMA.

[10]  D. Dzewaltowski,et al.  Disparities in obesity prevalence due to variation in the retail food environment: three testable hypotheses. , 2008, Nutrition reviews.

[11]  Michael C Wimberly,et al.  Associations of supermarket accessibility with obesity and fruit and vegetable consumption in the conterminous United States , 2010, International journal of health geographics.

[12]  Lisa M Powell,et al.  Food store availability and neighborhood characteristics in the United States. , 2007, Preventive medicine.

[13]  D. Levinson,et al.  Activity, Travel, and the Allocation of Time , 1995 .

[14]  W. Reilly.  Methods for the study of retail relationships , 2022 .

[15]  S. Asch,et al.  You are where you shop: grocery store locations, weight, and neighborhoods. , 2006, American journal of preventive medicine.

[16]  John Q. Stewart,et al.  Demographic Gravitation: Evidence and Applications , 1948 .

[17]  Helen J. Lee,et al.  The role of local food availability in explaining obesity risk among young school-aged children. , 2012, Social science & medicine.

[18]  Arleen F. Brown,et al.  The Neighborhood Food Resource Environment and the Health of Residents with Chronic Conditions , 2008, Journal of General Internal Medicine.

[19]  K. Morland,et al.  Race and food store availability in an inner-city neighbourhood , 2008, Public Health Nutrition.

[20]  D. Ahn,et al.  Changes in neighbourhood food store environment, food behaviour and body mass index, 1981–1990 , 2008, Public Health Nutrition.

[21]  Ikuho Yamada,et al.  Running to the store? The relationship between neighborhood environments and the risk of obesity. , 2009, Social science & medicine.

[22]  S. Zenk,et al.  Measuring food availability and access in African-American communities: implications for intervention and policy. , 2009, American journal of preventive medicine.

[23]  Walter Isard,et al.  Location and Space-Economy: A General Theory Relating to Industrial Location, Market Areas, Land Use, Trade, and Urban Structure , 1956 .

[24]  A. Bovell-Benjamin,et al.  Healthy food choices and physical activity opportunities in two contrasting Alabama cities. , 2009, Health & place.

[25]  Katherine M Flegal,et al.  Prevalence of obesity in the United States, 2009-2010. , 2012, NCHS data brief.

[26]  J. Gittelsohn,et al.  An Urban Food Store Intervention Positively Affects Food-Related Psychosocial Variables and Food Behaviors , 2010, Health education & behavior : the official publication of the Society for Public Health Education.

[27]  Melissa C. Nelson,et al.  Neighborhood environments: disparities in access to healthy foods in the U.S. , 2009, American journal of preventive medicine.

[28]  R. Cervero.  America's Suburban Centers: The Land Use-Transportation Link , 1989 .