scholarly journals Examining Changes to Food and Beverage Availability and Marketing in a Low-Income Community after the Opening of a New Supermarket: A Quasi-Experimental Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea Renee Singleton ◽  
Yu Li ◽  
Shannon N. Zenk ◽  
Lisa M. Powell
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Staple Food ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Intervention Community ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Limited Service

Abstract Background: In 2016, a large chain supermarket opened in the Englewood community of Chicago, IL – a low-income African American community. The development of this supermarket was supported, in part, by the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) – a federal initiative to expand access to healthy foods in food deserts. The aim of this study was to examine changes to food and beverage availability and marketing in Englewood’s existing food stores after the supermarket’s opening. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted from 2016 – 2018. Trained fieldworkers audited all small grocery and limited-service stores (e.g., convenience stores, liquor stores, pharmacies, dollar/discount stores) located within one-square mile of the new supermarket and a one-square mile area of a demographically comparable community in Chicago that also lacked a supermarket. All stores in the one-square mile area were audited at three time points: before (2016) and after (2017 and 2018) the supermarket opened. Extensive data on availability and marketing were collected for staple food items, snacks, and beverages. Difference-in-differences (DID) regression models were used to identify significant differences between the intervention and comparison communities in the changes in food and beverage availability and marketing. Results: Of the 78 stores audited at baseline, 71.8% were limited-service stores, and 85.9% accepted Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The availability of healthy food and beverage options in existing food stores was limited at baseline and both follow-up periods. Stores in the intervention community offered, on average, < 3 fresh vegetable options and < 2 fresh fruit options at all three time periods. DID regression models revealed a significant increase in 1) the percentage of stores in the intervention community offering regular cheese and promoting salty snacks at check-out from 2016 – 2017 and 2) the percentage of stores in the comparison community with interior store promotions for other sweetened beverages from 2016 – 2018. Conclusions: Minimal changes in food and beverage availability and marketing occurred one and two years after the opening of the new supermarket. However, the wide range of staple food items offered by the supermarket expanded healthy food retail in Chicago’s Englewood community.

Change in Food and Beverage Availability and Marketing Following the Introduction of a Healthy Food Financing Initiative–Supported Supermarket

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 525-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea R. Singleton ◽  
Yu Li ◽  
Angela Odoms-Young ◽  
Shannon N. Zenk ◽  
Lisa M. Powell
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
The United States ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Intervention Community ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Matched Comparison

Purpose: The Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) aims to expand access to healthy foods in low-resourced communities across the United States. This study examined changes in food and beverage availability and marketing in nearby small food stores after the opening of an HFFI-supported supermarket in a predominately low-income and African American community. Design: Natural experiment. Setting: Rockford, Illinois. Participants: A full audit was conducted of the small grocery and limited service stores located in a 1-mile radius around the new supermarket (N = 22) and a 1-square mile area within a nearby demographically matched comparison community (N = 18). Stores were audited in 2015 (1 month preopening) and 2016 (1 year afterward). Measures: Store characteristics, item availability, and interior and exterior promotions/advertisements were examined. Analysis: Difference-in-difference (DID) regression models assessed pre- and postintervention changes in availability and marketing between small food stores in the intervention and comparison communities. Results: The DID regression models indicated no difference between intervention and comparison communities with respect to changes in availability and marketing of all food items with the exception of frozen vegetables which had higher availability postintervention in the comparison community versus intervention (β for interaction term = .67; standard error: 0.33; P = .04). Conclusion: After the opening of the HFFI-supported supermarket, food and beverage availability and marketing in nearby small food stores did not change significantly. However, the wide range of staple foods offered by the supermarket contributed to the expansion of healthy food retail in the intervention community.

scholarly journals Examining Changes to Food and Beverage Availability and Marketing in a Low-Income Community after the Opening of a High-End Supermarket

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
Chelsea R. Singleton ◽  
Yu Li ◽  
Shannon N. Zenk ◽  
Lisa M. Powell
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Nutrition Assistance ◽  
Limited Service

Abstract Objective: In 2016, a Whole Foods Market© opened in the Englewood community of Chicago, IL – a predominately low-income African American community. This study aimed to examine changes to food and beverage availability and marketing in Englewood’s existing food stores after the opening of this supermarket. Design: Quasi-experimental study. Setting: Two low-income African American communities in Chicago, IL. Participants: Fieldworkers audited all small grocery and limited-service stores (e.g., convenience stores, liquor stores, dollar/discount stores) located within one-square mile of the new supermarket and a one-square mile area of a demographically comparable community that also lacked a supermarket. Stores were audited before (2016) and after (2017 and 2018) the supermarket opened. Results: Of the 78 stores audited at baseline, 71.8% were limited-service stores and 85.9% accepted Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Overall, the availability of healthy food and beverage options in nearby small stores was low at baseline and both follow-up periods. Difference-in-Difference regression models revealed a significant increase in 1) the percentage of stores in the intervention community (i.e., Englewood) offering regular cheese and promoting salty snacks at check-out from 2016 – 2017 and 2) the percentage of stores in the comparison community with interior store promotions for other sweetened beverages from 2016 – 2018. Conclusions: Minimal changes in food and beverage availability and marketing occurred one and two years after the opening of a new supermarket. However, the wide range of staple food items offered by the supermarket expanded healthy food retail in Chicago’s Englewood community.

scholarly journals Assessment of Food Quality in School Canteens: A Comparative Quantitative Study between Primary and Secondary Schools in Malaysia

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 3009
Author(s):  
Leng Huat Foo ◽  
Ying Jing Tan
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Sugar Content ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Traffic Light ◽  
Total Sugar Content ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Packaged Foods

Schools are an important food environment to cultivate and promote healthy food choices and practices among children and adolescents. The aim of the present study was to assess the type and quality of food and beverages sold in school canteens in public primary and secondary schools in Kelantan, Malaysia. Eligible schools were randomly selected from the list of all schools and detailed information of all food and beverage items sold in the school canteens were collected during school days. Food and beverages were classified based on food groups derived from the Malaysian Food Dietary Guideline and the Recommended Foods for Healthy Cafeteria Guideline. An assessment of the traffic-light nutrition food-labelling system of the total sugar content in all pre-packaged foods was also undertaken. A total of 568 food items were identified, with secondary school canteens selling a greater proportion of food items than the primary schools (55.5% vs. 44.5%). In terms of the main food groups, grains and cereal products represented the largest food group served (33–36%), followed by beverages (21–25%) and confectionary and sweet foods (12–13%). In contrast, the vegetable and fruit group represented the smallest proportion of food items sold (1–3%). Comparisons between primary and secondary schools showed a similar trend and pattern of food types and quality of foods sold, except for animal-based foods. A greater percentage of food items in this category was found among secondary schools (12.1%) versus primary schools (6.7%). When total sugar content of all pre-packaged foods was quantified based on the traffic-light nutrition-labelling system, almost one-third of foods and beverages were classified as high (29.1%). Confectionary (19.1%) and flavoured milk and fruit drinks (10.0%) both exceeded the recommended sugar levels of >22.5 g per 100 g and >11.25 mL per 100 m L, respectively. Only one of these packaged foods and beverages (0.9%) was classified as a healthy food choice. About a quarter of the food items available in school canteens were classified as prohibited based on a new revised list of prohibited food and beverage items. These findings indicate that, despite the Guidelines, a large number of unhealthy food items are being sold in school canteens. Hence, interventions such as sustainable healthy school canteen menus should be implemented to promote healthy food choices amongst school-aged children.

Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) position statement: provide funding for incentive programs to expand healthy food offerings in SNAP-authorized small food stores

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea R Singleton ◽  
Oluwafikayo S Adeyemi ◽  
Kaustubh V Parab ◽  
Alexandra M Roehll ◽  
Edson Flores ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Technical Assistance ◽  
Position Statement ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Assistance Program ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Incentive Programs ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Nutrition Assistance ◽  
Food Offerings

Abstract Individuals and families with limited access to healthy foods often experience increased risk for poor diet and chronic disease. Low-income communities are more likely to have a large number of small food stores (e.g., corner stores and dollar stores) compared to higher-income communities. Since many of these small food stores participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), increasing healthy food offerings in these stores may expand healthy food retail in low-income communities. We recommend the provision of funding for incentive programs that encourage SNAP-authorized small food stores in low-income communities to expand their healthy food offerings. This programming should (a) provide seed grants to store owners to develop or reconfigure store infrastructure, (b) offer store owners technical assistance and educational materials on marketing strategies for promoting healthy food items to customers, and (c) give a tax break to SNAP-authorized small food stores in low-income communities that maintain a predetermined minimum stock of U.S. Department of Agriculture-recognized staple foods.

Prohibitive property practices: The impact of restrictive covenants on the built food environment

2018 ◽  
pp. 141-156
Author(s):  
Sugandhi del Canto ◽  
Rachel Engler-Stringer
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Alternative Food ◽  
Alternative Food Systems ◽  
Restrictive Covenants ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Shopping Area ◽  
Built Food Environment

This chapter presents an overview of restrictive covenants as a corporate real estate practice that places conditions on land use, such as prohibiting the sale of food or prohibiting the development of grocery stores. Restrictive covenants are a significant barrier to establishing a new store in older neighbourhoods and the consequences are interconnected: when food stores act as anchors in a community shopping area, their closure can lead to a loss of neighbourhood-level identity and history. Rectifying existing nutrition deserts is much harder than preventing new ones. Alternative food systems are needed and should support urban agriculture, urban greenhouses and cooperative food store models, incentivise the development of mobile healthy food vending, and offer tax abatements or subsidies for healthy food retail in low-income nutrition desert neighbourhoods. Government support is needed to limit restrictive covenants and develop alternative food channels through various creative means.

scholarly journals Healthy food access for urban food desert residents: examination of the food environment, food purchasing practices, diet and BMI

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 2220-2230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamara Dubowitz ◽  
Shannon N Zenk ◽  
Bonnie Ghosh-Dastidar ◽  
Deborah A Cohen ◽  
Robin Beckman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Physical Distance ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Food Desert ◽  
Dietary Quality ◽  
Healthy Foods ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Food Purchasing ◽  
Food Shopping

AbstractObjectiveTo provide a richer understanding of food access and purchasing practices among US urban food desert residents and their association with diet and BMI.DesignData on food purchasing practices, dietary intake, height and weight from the primary food shopper in randomly selected households (n 1372) were collected. Audits of all neighbourhood food stores (n 24) and the most-frequented stores outside the neighbourhood (n 16) were conducted. Aspects of food access and purchasing practices and relationships among them were examined and tests of their associations with dietary quality and BMI were conducted.SettingTwo low-income, predominantly African-American neighbourhoods with limited access to healthy food in Pittsburgh, PA, USA.SubjectsHousehold food shoppers.ResultsOnly one neighbourhood outlet sold fresh produce; nearly all respondents did major food shopping outside the neighbourhood. Although the nearest full-service supermarket was an average of 2·6 km from their home, respondents shopped an average of 6·0 km from home. The average trip was by car, took approximately 2 h for the round trip, and occurred two to four times per month. Respondents spent approximately $US 37 per person per week on food. Those who made longer trips had access to cars, shopped less often and spent less money per person. Those who travelled further when they shopped had higher BMI, but most residents already shopped where healthy foods were available, and physical distance from full-service supermarkets was unrelated to weight or dietary quality.ConclusionsImproved access to healthy foods is the target of current policies meant to improve health. However, distance to the closest supermarket might not be as important as previously thought, and thus policy and interventions that focus merely on improving access may not be effective.

An Urban Food Store Intervention Positively Affects Food-Related Psychosocial Variables and Food Behaviors

2009 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 390-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel Gittelsohn ◽  
Hee-Jung Song ◽  
Sonali Suratkar ◽  
Mohan B. Kumar ◽  
Elizabeth G. Henry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Food Store ◽  
Intervention Trial ◽  
Preparation Methods ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
The Impact

Obesity and other diet-related chronic diseases are more prevalent in low-income urban areas, which commonly have limited access to healthy foods. The authors implemented an intervention trial in nine food stores, including two supermarkets and seven corner stores, in a low-income, predominantly African American area of Baltimore City, with a comparison group of eight stores in another low-income area of the city. The intervention (Baltimore Healthy Stores; BHS) included an environmental component to increase stocks of more nutritious foods and provided point-of-purchase promotions including signage for healthy choices and interactive nutrition education sessions. Using pre- and postassessments, the authors evaluated the impact of the program on 84 respondents sampled from the intervention and comparison areas. Exposure to intervention materials was modest in the intervention area, and overall healthy food purchasing scores, food knowledge, and self-efficacy did not show significant improvements associated with intervention status. However, based on adjusted multivariate regression results, the BHS program had a positive impact on healthfulness of food preparation methods and showed a trend toward improved intentions to make healthy food choices. Respondents in the intervention areas were significantly more likely to report purchasing promoted foods because of the presence of a BHS shelf label. This is the first food store intervention trial in low-income urban communities to show positive impacts at the consumer level.

scholarly journals Increasing Healthy Food Access for Low-Income Communities: Protocol of the Healthy Community Stores Case Study Project

2022 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 690
Author(s):  
Joel Gittelsohn ◽  
Christina M. Kasprzak ◽  
Alex B. Hill ◽  
Samantha M. Sundermeir ◽  
Melissa N. Laska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Grocery Stores ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Healthy Food Access

Improving healthy food access in low-income communities continues to be a public health challenge. One strategy for improving healthy food access has been to introduce community food stores, with the mission of increasing healthy food access; however, no study has explored the experiences of different initiatives and models in opening and sustaining healthy food stores. This study used a case study approach to understand the experiences of healthy food stores in low-income communities. The purpose of this paper is to describe the methodology used and protocol followed. A case study approach was used to describe seven healthy food stores across urban settings in the U.S. Each site individually coded their cases, and meetings were held to discuss emerging and cross-cutting themes. A cross-case analysis approach was used to produce a series of papers detailing the results of each theme. Most case studies were on for-profit, full-service grocery stores, with store sizes ranging from 900 to 65,000 square feet. Healthy Food Availability scores across sites ranged from 11.6 (low) to 26.5 (high). The papers resulting from this study will detail the key findings of the case studies and will focus on the challenges, strategies, and experiences of retail food stores attempting to improve healthy food access for disadvantaged communities. The work presented in this special issue will help to advance research in the area of community food stores, and the recommendations can be used by aspiring, new, and current community food store owners.

scholarly journals Healthy food availability in small urban food stores: a comparison of four US cities

2009 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1031-1035 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Nelson Laska ◽  
Kelley E Borradaile ◽  
June Tester ◽  
Gary D Foster ◽  
Joel Gittelsohn
Keyword(s):  
Food Availability ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Low Fat ◽  
Limited Region ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Healthy Food Availability ◽  
Staple Foods ◽  
Cross Site

AbstractObjectiveGiven that small food stores may be important retail food sources in low-income urban communities, our objective was to examine cross-city comparative data documenting healthy food availability within such facilities, particularly those located in low-income areas and nearby schools.DesignFood stores in Baltimore, Maryland; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota; Oakland, California; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania were selected for assessment based on proximity to low-income schools. Stores were defined as: (i) single-aisle (n 45); (ii) small (2–5 aisles; n 52); and (iii) large (≥6 aisles; n 8). Staff conducted in-store audits to assess the presence/absence of twenty-eight healthy items, organized within five categories: (i) fresh fruits/vegetables, (ii) processed fruits/vegetables, (iii) healthy beverages/low-fat dairy, (iv) healthy snacks and (v) other healthy staple foods.ResultsThe availability of healthy food items was low, particularly in single-aisle and small stores, and there was significant cross-site variability in the availability of healthy snacks (P < 0·0001) and other healthy staple foods (P < 0·0001). No cross-site differences existed for fruits/vegetables or healthy beverages/low-fat dairy availability. Healthy food availability scores increased significantly with store size for nearly all food/beverage categories (P < 0·01).ConclusionsOverall, healthy food availability in these venues was limited. Region-specific factors may be important to consider in understanding factors influencing healthy food availability in small urban markets. Data suggest that efforts to promote healthy diets in low-income communities may be compromised by a lack of available healthy foods. Interventions targeting small stores need to be developed and tailored for use in urban areas across the USA.

scholarly journals Food and Beverage Availability in Small Food Stores Located in Healthy Food Financing Initiative Eligible Communities

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 1242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea Singleton ◽  
Yu Li ◽  
Ana Duran ◽  
Shannon Zenk ◽  
Angela Odoms-Young ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Food ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Food And Beverage
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