scholarly journals Staple Food Item Availability among Small Retailers in Providence, RI

Author(s):  
Yuyao Huang ◽  
Alison Tovar ◽  
John Taylor ◽  
Maya Vadiveloo

Inventory requirements for authorized Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) retailers have undergone several revisions to increase the availability of healthful foods. A proposed rule of 84 staple food items was not implemented due to concerns that stores would not withstand this expansion, resulting in a final rule requiring 36 items. This study used the Food Access Research Atlas data to characterize food provisions in 30 small retailers in areas with high and low proportions of SNAP and racial minority residents in Providence, Rhode Island (RI). Stores were assessed with an audit instrument to tally variety, perishability, and depth of stock of four staple food categories. Descriptive, analysis of variance, and chi-square analyses were performed. Across stores, 80% were compliant with the final rule, but 66.7% would need to expand their offerings to meet the proposed rule. Mean dairy variety was lowest among all categories (p < 0.05). Most stores met the perishability (92.3%) and depth-of-stock requirements (96.1%) under both rules. No difference was detected between areas with high and low proportions of SNAP and racial minority residents. Future expansion of requirements may increase healthful food availability without imposing undue burdens on retailers in Providence, RI, excluding increased requirements for dairy variety.

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuyao Huang ◽  
John Taylor ◽  
Alison Tovar ◽  
Maya Vadiveloo

Abstract Objectives Inventory requirements for retailers authorized in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) have undergone several revisions. The final rule in Jan 2018 requires minimum stocking of 36 instead of 12 staple food items in the original rule. While a more stringent rule was proposed in 2016 to expand the requirements to 84 items, it was not implemented due to concerns that stores may not withstand this expansion. This descriptive study examined food stocking in a sample of small retailers in Providence, RI to evaluate the barriers to more stringent requirements and explore differences in compliance to the original, proposed and final rules between high and low SNAP participating and racial minority resident areas. Methods This study used Food Access Research Atlas data to characterize the food environment of 30 small retailers from 5 census tracts in Providence, RI. Stores were assessed with an audit instrument developed by the Illinois Prevention Research Center to tally variety, perishability and depth of stock offerings in four staple food categories. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and chi-square tests were used to determine compliance to the different requirements and if they differ between tracts with high and low SNAP participating and racial minority residents. Results Stores sampled included 12 non-chain grocery stores, 12 convenience stores,1 small discount store,4 pharmacies and 1 liquor store. Of all stores, 80% were compliant with final rule and 66.7% would need to expand their offerings to meet the proposed rule. Of the SNAP authorized stores, 88.5% were compliant with final rule and 61.5% would need to expand their offerings to meet the proposed rule. Mean dairy variety was lower than variety in the other three categories (P < 0.05), which would be a potential barrier to the proposed rule. Majority of the stores were meeting the perishability and depth of stock requirements (92.3% and 96.1% respectively) in the proposed and final rules. No difference in compliance was detected between tracts with high and low SNAP participating and racial minority residents. Conclusions Future expansion of inventory requirements could potentially lead to increased healthful food availability without imposing undue burden on small retailers in Providence, RI, excluding increased requirements for dairy variety. Funding Sources The study was not sponsored.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (17) ◽  
pp. 3226-3235
Author(s):  
Reece Lyerly ◽  
Pasquale Rummo ◽  
Sarah Amin ◽  
Whitney Evans ◽  
Eliza Dexter Cohen ◽  
...  

AbstractObjective:Mobile produce markets (MPM) offering Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) incentive programmes have the potential to provide accessible and affordable fruits and vegetables (FV) to populations at risk of food insecurity. The objective of this study is to characterise the customer base of an MPM and describe their participation at twelve market sites serving low-income seniors.Design:In 2018, customers from an MPM in Rhode Island (RI) participated in a cross-sectional survey (n 330; 68 % response rate), which measured dietary patterns, food security and food shopping behaviours. We compared the shopping habits and market experiences of customers who currently received SNAP benefits with those who did not currently receive SNAP benefits.Setting:An MPM in RI which offers a 50 % discount for FV purchased with SNAP benefits.Participants:This study describes current market customers at twelve market sites serving low-income seniors.Results:Market customers were mostly low-income, female, over the age of 50 years and Hispanic/Latino. Most customers received SNAP benefits, and almost half were food insecure. In addition, three quarters of SNAP customers reported their SNAP benefits last longer since shopping at the markets. Mixed logistic regression models indicated that SNAP customers were more likely to report buying and eating more FV than non-SNAP customers.Conclusions:MPM are critical resources of affordable produce and have been successful in improving access to FV among individuals of low socio-economic status in RI. This case study can inform policy and programme recommendations for MPM and SNAP incentive programmes.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 752
Author(s):  
Anthony Meza ◽  
June M. Tester ◽  
Irene H. Yen ◽  
Barbara A. Laraia ◽  
Julia A. Wolfson ◽  
...  

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is critical to alleviating food insecurity, but low diet quality among program participants is a concern. Nutrition-related interventions have focused on SNAP-authorized food retailers, but the perspectives of small food store owners and managers have not been represented in national policy discussions. This study aimed to explore the opinions of store owners/managers of SNAP-authorized small food stores about their overall perceptions of the program and the stricter stocking standards previously proposed in 2016. We conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 33 small food store owners and managers in San Francisco and Oakland, California in 2016. Interviews were analyzed for thematic content using the general inductive approach. Four themes emerged from owners/managers’ discussion of their overall perceptions of SNAP: the beneficial impact of SNAP on their business, how SNAP enables them to connect with the broader community, the importance of SNAP in preventing hunger, and the nutrition-related struggles that SNAP participants face. Store owners/managers had a generally favorable response towards the proposed stricter stocking standards. Additional themes discussed pertained to the concern about whether stocking changes would lead SNAP participants to purchase more healthful food and some logistical challenges related to sourcing and storing perishable foods.


2021 ◽  
pp. 003335492110124
Author(s):  
E. Whitney Evans ◽  
Reece Lyerly ◽  
Kim M. Gans ◽  
Nicole Alexander Scott ◽  
Eliza Dexter Cohen ◽  
...  

Food on the Move is an ongoing mobile produce market program in Rhode Island whose operations evolved from previous mobile market programs evaluated by 2 research studies: (1) one on Fresh to You, a prospective cohort study evaluating markets at community sites serving low-income families; and (2) one on Live Well, Viva Bien, a cluster randomized controlled trial evaluating markets and complementary nutrition interventions at public housing sites. The 2 studies spanned more than a decade and demonstrated the effect of mobile produce markets on access to, affordability of, and consumption of fruit and vegetables in low-income communities in Rhode Island. When grant funding ended in 2016, academic and community partners continued the mobile market program as Food on the Move. The Rhode Island Public Health Institute adopted the program model and developed a business plan to maximize market efficiency. To address price as a barrier to buying fruit and vegetables, the Institute implemented an innovative incentive program for purchases made with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, funded by a federal Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive grant program. In 2018, Food on the Move sold more than $160 000 in produce at 335 markets, more than $50 000 of which came from these SNAP incentive programs. For sustained change in communities, researchers and community partners need examples of how to translate findings from research trials into public health practice. Food on the Move serves as a case study for the successful transition of community-focused research into a sustainable and scalable evidence-based program.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 888-898 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bailey Houghtaling ◽  
Elena Serrano ◽  
Liza Dobson ◽  
Susan Chen ◽  
Vivica I Kraak ◽  
...  

Abstract Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants could benefit from exposure to marketing-mix and choice-architecture (MMCA) strategies that encourage healthy consumer purchases. However, the perceived feasibility of independent and corporate SNAP-authorized store owners and managers (e.g., retailers) to implement healthy MMCA strategies is understudied. The purpose of this study was to inform a healthy food retail program that meets both public health and business expectations by prioritizing retailer perspectives. A mixed methods approach was used. Retailers completed a card sorting exercise to determine perceived feasibility to implement MMCA strategies place, profile, portion, pricing, promotion, priming, prompting, and proximity. This process was audio-recorded. Chi-square was used to identify potential differences in perceived feasibility to implement healthy MMCA strategies between independent and corporate SNAP-authorized retailers. Qualitative data were coded among a panel to construct themes. Themes were organized by barriers and facilitators and coded for strategy acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility. SNAP-authorized retailers’ (n = 29) considered prompting (e.g., labeling; 83%) and proximity (e.g., location; 90%) strategies to encourage healthy consumer purchases highly feasible. Few differences were detected between independent and corporate retailers’ perceived feasibility to implement healthy MMCA strategies. The largest barriers to implementing healthy MMCA strategies were related to strategy appropriateness. Priorities for healthy food retail initiatives included prompting and proximity changes that highlight products aligned with the DGA, without altering products available to consumers that are misaligned with the DGA. Future work is required to understand how other healthy MMCA strategies may be adapted to enhance their appropriateness for these settings.


2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 159
Author(s):  
WISNU TRI PAMUNGKAS ◽  
INDIRA RA ◽  
IRMA ANDRIANI PASARIBU

<p><strong>Abstrak</strong></p><p><strong>Latar Belakang : </strong>Prevalensi Hipertensi di Indonesia semakin meningkat mencapai 25,8% pada penduduk berusia 18 tahun keatas.  Amlodipin merupakan salah satu pilihan obat untuk terapi Hipertensi yang termasuk golongan Calsium Channel Blocker (CCB). Penggunaan obat antihipertensi sendiri merupakan salah satu faktor risiko yang menyebabkan sindroma mata kering.</p><p><strong>Tujuan : </strong>Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh penggunaan obat antihipertensi terhadap sindroma mata kering pada penderita Hipertensi di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Jagir kota Surabaya.</p><p><strong>Metode penelitian : </strong>Penelitian ini adalah penelitian observasional analitik dengan metode cross-sectional. Subyek pada penelitian ini adalah 48 responden yang didapatkan dibagi kedalam 2 kelompok yakni, kelompok minum obat antihipertensi &gt;6 bulan dan tidak minum obat. Dilakukan pengisian kuesioner DEQ-5 dan pemeriksaan schirmer I.</p><p><strong>Hasil penelitian : </strong>Analisa deskriptif dari tes schirmer I frekuensi sindroma mata kering lebih tinggi pada responden yang mengkonsumsi obat antihipertensi dari pada responden yang tidak minum obat antihipertensi. Hasil analisa statistik menggunakan uji chi-square signifikansinya yaitu sebesar &lt;0,001 atau dapat dikatakan bahwa p&lt;α (0,05), menunjukkan ada pengaruh pemberian obat antihipertensi terhadap sindroma mata kering yang berdasarkan tes Schirmer pada pasien Hipertensi di wilayah kerja puskesmas Jagir  kota Surabaya.</p><p><strong>Simpulan : </strong>Penggunaan obat antihipertensi berpengaruh terhadap sindroma mata kering pada penderita hipertensi di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Jagir kota Surabaya</p><p><strong>Kata Kunci : </strong>Sindroma mata kering, obat antihipertensi, hipertensi</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p><strong>Background: </strong>Hypertension prevalence in Indonesia is increasing to reach 25.8% in the population aged 18 years and over. Amlodipine is one of the drugs for hypertension therapy which is included in the Calcium Channel Blocker (CCB) class. The use of antihypertensive medication itself is one of the risk factors that cause dry eye syndrome.</p><p><strong>Purpose</strong>: This study aims to determine the effect of the use of antihypertensive drugs on dry eye syndrome in patients with hypertension at Jagir Public Health Center in Surabaya working area.</p><p><strong>Methods:</strong> This study was an observational analytic study with a cross-sectional method. The subjects in this study were 48 respondents found divided into 2 groups namely, the group taking antihypertensive drugs&gt; 6 months and not taking medication. The DEQ-5 questionnaire was completed and Schirmer I was examined.</p><p><strong>Results:</strong> Descriptive analysis of the Schirmer I test for the frequency of dry eye syndrome was higher in respondents who took antihypertensive drugs than those who did not take antihypertensive drugs. The results of statistical analysis using the chi-square test of significance that is equal to &lt;0.001 or it can be said that p &lt;α (0.05), indicates there is an effect of antihypertensive drug administration on dry eye syndrome based on the Schirmer test in hypertension patients at Jagir Public Health Center in Surabaya..</p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong> The use of antihypertensive drugs has an effect on dry eye syndrome in patients with hypertension at the Jagir Public Health Center in Surabaya</p><strong>Keywords:</strong> Dry eye syndrome, antihypertensive drugs, hypertension


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Wolvaardt ◽  
R Nemuntandani ◽  
I Kamungoma-Dada

Abstract Background Access to essential medicines in South Africa has been compromised by stockouts in health facilities. This study describes the occurrence of stockouts for a selection of essential medicines. Methods This cross-sectional study used secondary data retrieved from the Stop Stock Outs Project (SSP). A descriptive analysis was conducted on data from the 2013-2015 SSP case management database of routinely reported stockouts. Chi square tests of independence was conducted on data from the SSP 2015 annual telephonic survey to investigate associations between the occurrence of stockouts, the level of health facility and the type of health professional. Results 231 facilities reported 609 stockouts. Antiretroviral medication had the most stockout reports (78%; n = 475/609), followed by anti-infectives (17.1%; n = 104/609) and tuberculosis medication (4.9%; n = 30/609). The highest number of stockout reports were received from Gauteng province and the majority (71.09%; n = 150/211) of facilities reporting stockouts were in urban areas. There were more stockouts at ambulatory, rather than inpatient care, facilities however, this was not statistically significant. Conclusions This study confirms that South Africa experiences medicine stockouts for many of the essential medicines, with antiretroviral medication being the category most affected. The stockouts vary between provinces and the urban-rural divide but are an equal threat to both ambulatory and inpatient facilities. Key messages The pattern of stockouts experienced over a three-year period suggest that stockouts are ‘normal’ despite the substantive effects of treatment interruption – especially patients with HIV and/or TB. Antiretroviral therapy is at risk as a result of stockouts.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 772
Author(s):  
Yi-Man Teng ◽  
Kun-Shan Wu ◽  
Wen-Cheng Wang ◽  
Dan Xu

During the pandemic, quarantine hotel workers face a higher risk of infection while they host quarantine guests from overseas. This study’s aim is to gain an understanding of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of quarantine hotel workers in China. A total of 170 participants took part in a cross-sectional survey to assess the KAP of quarantine hotel workers in China, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The chi-square test, independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), descriptive analysis, and binary logistic regression were used to examine the sociodemographic factors associated with KAP levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results show that 62.41% have good knowledge, 94.7% have a positive attitude towards COVID-19, but only 78.2% have good practices. Most quarantine hotel workers (95.3%) are confident that COVID-19 will be successfully controlled and that China is handling the COVID-19 crisis well (98.8%). Most quarantine hotel workers are also taking personal precautions, such as avoiding crowds (80.6%) and wearing facemasks (97.6%). The results evidence that quarantine hotel workers in China have acquired the necessary knowledge, positive attitudes and proactive practices in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study can provide a reference for quarantine hotel workers and their targeted education and intervention.


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