The Influence of WIC Changes on the Retail Food Environment in New Orleans

Outside of western countries, the study of the local food environment and evidence for its association with dietary behavior is limited. The aim of this paper was to examine the association between the local retail food environment and consumption of fruit and vegetables (FV) among adults in Hong Kong. Local retail food environment was measured by density of different types of retail food outlets (grocery stores, convenience stores, and fast food restaurants) within a 1000 m Euclidean buffer around individual’s homes using a geographic information system (GIS). The Retail Food Environment Index (RFEI) was calculated based on the relative density of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores to grocery stores. Logistic regressions were performed to examine associations using cross-sectional data of 1977 adults (18 years or older). Overall, people living in an area with the highest RFEI (Q4, >5.76) had significantly greater odds of infrequent FV consumption (<7 days/week) after covariates adjustment (infrequent fruit consumption: OR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.04–1.78; infrequent vegetable consumption: OR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.11–2.68) in comparison to the lowest RFEI (Q1, <2.25). Highest density of fast food restaurants (Q4, >53) was also significantly associated with greater odds of infrequent fruit consumption (<7 days/week) (unadjusted model: OR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.04–1.73), relative to lowest density of fast food restaurants (Q1, <13). No significant association of density of grocery stores or convenience stores was observed with infrequent FV consumption regardless of the covariates included in the model. Our results suggest that the ratio of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores to grocery stores near people’s home is an important environmental factor in meeting fruit and vegetable consumption guidelines. “Food swamps” (areas with an abundance of unhealthy foods) rather than “food deserts” (areas where there is limited access to healthy foods) seems to be more of a problem in Hong Kong’s urban areas. We advanced international literature by providing evidence in a non-western setting.

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Differences in the Neighborhood Retail Food Environment and Obesity Among US Children and Adolescents by SNAP Participation

Obesity ◽

10.1002/oby.22184 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 26 (6) ◽

pp. 1063-1071 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Mary T. Gorski Findling ◽

Julia A. Wolfson ◽

Eric B. Rimm ◽

Sara N. Bleich

Keyword(s):

Children And Adolescents ◽

Food Environment ◽

Retail Food Environment ◽

Us Children ◽

Retail Food

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Healthy Food Retail during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Future Directions

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17207397 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (20) ◽

pp. 7397 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lucia A. Leone ◽

Sheila Fleischhacker ◽

Betsy Anderson-Steeves ◽

Kaitlyn Harper ◽

Megan Winkler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Environment ◽

Business Models ◽

Food System ◽

Interaction Model ◽

Geographic Location ◽

The United States ◽

Retail Food Environment ◽

Nutrition Assistance ◽

The Impact ◽

Retail Food

Disparities in dietary behaviors have been directly linked to the food environment, including access to retail food outlets. The Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to major changes in the distribution, sale, purchase, preparation, and consumption of food in the United States (US). This paper reflects on those changes and provides recommendations for research to understand the impact of the pandemic on the retail food environment (RFE) and consumer behavior. Using the Retail Food Environment and Customer Interaction Model, we describe the impact of COVID-19 in four key areas: (1) community, state, tribal, and federal policy; (2) retail actors, business models, and sources; (3) customer experiences; and (4) dietary intake. We discuss how previously existing vulnerabilities and inequalities based on race, ethnicity, class, and geographic location were worsened by the pandemic. We recommend approaches for building a more just and equitable RFE, including understanding the impacts of changing shopping behaviors and adaptations to federal nutrition assistance as well as how small food business can be made more sustainable. By better understanding the RFE adaptations that have characterized the COVID-19 pandemic, we hope to gain greater insight into how our food system can become more resilient in the future.

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Diet Quality and Food Prices Modify Associations between Genetic Susceptibility to Obesity and Adiposity Outcomes

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12113349 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 3349

Author(s):

Hannah Yang Han ◽

Catherine Paquet ◽

Laurette Dubé ◽

Daiva E Nielsen

Keyword(s):

Waist Circumference ◽

Diet Quality ◽

Food Environment ◽

High Energy ◽

Healthy Eating Index ◽

Food Prices ◽

Polygenic Risk Score ◽

Polygenic Risk ◽

Retail Food Environment ◽

Retail Food

The role of the retail food environment in obesity risk is unclear, which may be due in part to the lack of consideration of individual differences in the responsivity to food cues. This cross-sectional investigation geo-temporally linked the CARTaGENE biobank (including genetic, dietary, lifestyle, and anthropometric data) with in-store retail food environment data to examine interactions between a polygenic risk score (PRS) for obesity and (1) diet quality (n = 6807) and (2) in-store retail food measures (n = 3718). The outcomes included adiposity-related measures and diet quality assessed using the 2010 Canadian-adapted Healthy Eating Index. A vegetable:soft drink ratio was constructed for each retail measure to assess the relative healthfulness of exposures. Generalized linear models adjusted for individual and neighborhood socio-demographic factors were used to evaluate main and interactive effects. Diet quality significantly modified the association between polygenic risk of obesity and body mass index, waist circumference, and body fat percent. A significant interaction was also observed between PRS and regular price of vegetables in relation to soft drinks on waist circumference. These results replicate previous reports of diet moderating polygenic risk of obesity and suggest that prices of low vs. high-energy density foods are an intervention target to address population obesity rates.

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The association between the retail food environment, economic deprivation, fast food intake and obesity: Findings from the Survey of the Health of Wisconsin

ISEE Conference Abstracts ◽

10.1289/isee.2013.p-3-15-22 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 (1) ◽

pp. 3787

Author(s):

Michael Laxy ◽

Kristen C. Malecki ◽

Marjory L. Givens ◽

F. Javier Nieto

Keyword(s):

Food Intake ◽

Food Environment ◽

Fast Food ◽

Economic Deprivation ◽

Retail Food Environment ◽

Retail Food

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Hispanic immigrant women’s perspective on healthy foods and the New York City retail food environment: A mixed-method study

Social Science & Medicine ◽

10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.04.012 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 73 (1) ◽

pp. 13-21 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Yoosun Park ◽

James Quinn ◽

Karen Florez ◽

Judith Jacobson ◽

Kathryn Neckerman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

New York City ◽

Mixed Method ◽

York City ◽

Food Environment ◽

Mixed Method Study ◽

Healthy Foods ◽

Retail Food Environment ◽

Retail Food

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The Retail Food Environment, Store Foods, and Diet and Health among Indigenous Populations: a Scoping Review

Current Obesity Reports ◽

10.1007/s13679-020-00399-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 288-306 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gabriella Luongo ◽

Kelly Skinner ◽

Breanna Phillipps ◽

Ziwa Yu ◽

Debbie Martin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Food Environment ◽

Indigenous Populations ◽

Retail Food Environment ◽

Retail Food

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Healthy diets and the retail food environment: A sociological approach

Health & Place ◽

10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.102244 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 61 ◽

pp. 102244 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Dalia Mattioni ◽

Allison Marie Loconto ◽

Gianluca Brunori

Keyword(s):

Food Environment ◽

Retail Food Environment ◽

Sociological Approach ◽

Healthy Diets ◽

Retail Food

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The mismatch between observational measures and residents’ perspectives on the retail food environment: a mixed-methods approach in the Heart Healthy Hoods study

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980017001604 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 20 (16) ◽

pp. 2970-2979 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Julia Díez ◽

Roberto Valiente ◽

Carmen Ramos ◽

Reyes García ◽

Joel Gittelsohn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Food Availability ◽

Low Income ◽

Food Environment ◽

Healthy Food ◽

Mixed Methods Approach ◽

Retail Food Environment ◽

Observational Measures ◽

Healthy Food Availability ◽

Retail Food

AbstractObjectiveTo gain a deeper understanding of the retail food environment by investigating similarities and differences between objective measures and residents’ perspectives.DesignThe study incorporated Geographic Information System (GIS)-based measures, in-store surveys and the results from a larger photovoice project. We combined these data using a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach.SettingWe conducted this study in a low-income neighbourhood in Madrid (Spain) in 2016.SubjectsWe assessed healthy food availability, accessibility and affordability using GIS-based measures and in-store audits. We also analysed the photographs and discussions from twelve participants who engaged in a photovoice project on their food environment.ResultsQuantitative results depicted a widely served and highly accessible retail food environment, in which supermarkets scored highest in terms of healthy food availability (36·5 out of 39) and 98·9 % of residents could access a healthy food store within a walking travel distance of less than 15 min. Qualitative results showed that participants preferred small local businesses over supermarkets, and revealed built environment obstacles for elderly residents. They also highlighted how the socio-economic context constrained residents’ food choices.ConclusionsPeople’s experienced retail food environment is different from the one quantitatively analysed. Results show the potential of using a mixed-methods approach to enrich food environment research and enhance public health interventions.

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