Food Acquisition and Shopping Patterns among Residents of Low-Income and Low-Access Communities in South Carolina

WEIRD and non-consensual food deserts and swamps: A scoping review of operational definitions

The aim of the present study was to critically analyze operational definitions of food deserts and food swamps included in empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals. A scoping review was conducted following the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute and PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. A search of the scientific literature was performed on August 2023 to identify empirical studies including operational definitions of food deserts and/or food swamps in three databases: Scopus, PubMed, and Scielo. A total of 932 scientific articles were identified in the three databases, from which 157 articles, published between 2002 and 2023, were included in the review. The included studies were mainly conducted in WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrilaized, Rich and Democractic) countries. They presented a total of 107 operational definitions of food deserts and 30 operational definitions of food swamps. Large heterogeneity in the operational definitions of food deserts and food swamps was found. Published studies differed in all the elements of the operational definitions analyzed in the present work. Results stress the need for standardization and the development of more objective and multivariate continuous measures of physical food accessibility that reflect the complexity of modern food environments globally. A series of recommendations to advance food environment research are derived.

Supermarket Opening in an Urban, Low-Income Community Was Not Found to Be Associated With Improvements in Dietary Outcomes for Most Residents in the First Year

BACKGROUND

Limited access to healthy foods in low-income, racial and ethnic minority communities has been proposed as a critical factor contributing to health disparities. One policy option for improving access is to introduce supermarkets in low-income communities, but evidence increasingly points to null effects.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to examine whether the introduction of a new supermarket in a public housing community, and proximity to it, were associated with improvements in residents' dietary outcomes. It also explored whether these associations may be moderated by access and cost barriers to eating healthy at baseline.

DESIGN

A cohort of public housing residents were recruited from Jordan Downs, where the new supermarket was introduced, and from 2 comparison sites. Longitudinal data on outcomes and exposures were collected at baseline (2018-2019) and follow-up (2020-2021). Quasi-experimental variation in residents' distance to the new supermarket was used to examine whether proximity to the supermarket was associated with dietary improvements.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

Participants included 557 adult residents from 3 public housing sites in Watts, Los Angeles, CA.

INTERVENTION

The intervention is the opening of a new supermarket in the Jordan Downs community. The primary exposure measure is an indicator for whether residents lived in Jordan Downs vs in the comparison sites. The secondary exposure measure is residents' driving distance to the new supermarket.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Self-reports of daily consumption of whole grains, dairy, fruits and vegetables, added sugar, red meat, processed meat, and overall healthiness of diet were obtained from surveys administered at baseline and follow-up.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED

Descriptive analyses examined households' grocery shopping patterns after the new supermarket's introduction. Analysis of covariance linear regressions models estimated the association between residents' dietary outcomes at follow-up and the exposure measures, conditional on dietary outcomes at baseline and other covariates.

RESULTS

Proximity to the new supermarket was associated with a significantly higher probability of shopping there, particularly for households that reported an access or cost barrier at baseline. Overall, there were no statistically significant or practically meaningful differences observed in dietary outcomes between Jordan Downs residents and those in comparison sites, or between residents who lived at varying distances from the supermarket. Exploratory moderation analyses suggested some meaningful dietary benefits for those who had a frequent access barrier at baseline, but not for those without such a barrier, but there was mostly no evidence of moderation by price barrier at baseline.

CONCLUSIONS

Supermarket opening in an urban, low-income, and racial and ethnic minority community was not found to be associated with improvements in dietary outcomes for most residents in the first year after its opening. Improving dietary outcomes in such communities may require a broader and nuanced approach that addresses varied barriers faced by residents.

Household Food Sourcing Patterns and Their Associations With Food Insecurity in Appalachian Ohio

BACKGROUND

Households experiencing food insecurity may use dynamic strategies to meet food needs. Yet, the relationship between household food sourcing behaviors and food security, particularly in rural settings, is understudied.

OBJECTIVE

To identify food sourcing patterns and their associations with food insecurity among households in rural Appalachian Ohio during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN

Survey data were collected from a cohort of households in Athens County, OH, in July 2020, October 2020, January 2021, and April 2021.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

The sample included 663 households with household food sourcing and food security information for ≥1 survey wave.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Household food sourcing patterns. Households reported the frequency with which they obtained food from various retailers and charitable sources, classified as supercenters, supermarkets, convenience stores, farmers markets, or charitable sources.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES

Principal component analysis was used to identify food sourcing patterns. Linear mixed models were used to assess changes in food sourcing behaviors over the study period and to determine whether food sourcing behaviors differed according to food security status.

RESULTS

Two patterns were identified: Convenience Stores and Charitable Food and Supermarkets and Farmers Markets, not Supercenters. Relative to July 2020, alignment of households' food sourcing behaviors with the Supermarkets and Farmers Markets, not Supercenters pattern was higher in October 2020 (β .07, 95% CI .02 to .12) and alignment with the Convenience Stores and Charitable Food pattern was lower in April 2021 (β -.06, 95% CI -.11 to -.02). Compared with food-secure households, food sourcing behaviors of food-insecure households were more closely aligned with the Convenience Stores and Charitable Food pattern (β .07, 95% CI .00 to .13); no statistically significant difference in scores was observed for the Supermarkets and Farmers Markets, not Supercenters pattern (β -.07, 95% CI -.15 to .02).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings support efforts to increase access to healthy, affordable options at venues where food-insecure households may be likely to obtain food, such as convenience stores and charitable sources.

Food Insecurity, the Food Environment, and COVID-19 in Rural South Carolina

In this study, we explored the relationship between the food environment and food security among rural adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers, with assistance from community partners, conducted a cross-sectional survey assessing the impact of COVID-19 on food access, food security, and physical activity in 9 rural South Carolina (SC) counties. This survey was administered to a purposive sample (N = 587) from August 2020 to March 2021. The dependent variable was a binary indicator of food insecurity (past 3 months), in accordance with the USDA Household Food Security Survey Module. Independent variables were sociodemographic characteristics, food environment factors (eg, shopping at grocery stores, partial markets, and farmers' markets), and shopping behaviors during the pandemic. Overall, 31% of respondents were food insecure. Food security status differed by income and household composition. Results indicate that the odds of food insecurity were higher for respondents who shopped frequently at partial markets (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-2.56) and shopped more for food before the pandemic than during the pandemic (AOR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.07-2.64). Findings underscore the importance of examining the relationship between the food environment and food insecurity during COVID-19 in rural settings.

Priority Areas for Child Diaper Access: Low-Income Neighborhoods with Limited Retail Access to the Basic Need of Diapers

Introduction:

Although a requirement for the health and hygiene of young children, millions of US families with low-incomes have unmet needs for diapers. The present study explored retail options in Durham County, NC for purchasing diapers in low-income neighborhoods in effort to increase our understanding of the overall context of diaper need.

Methods:

During June 2018, we visited 63 retailers selling 2460 child diaper products in 29 census tracts with a median household income ≤200% of the federal poverty guideline. Corner stores were the only retailers to sell products without original packaging, including one corner store selling loose diapers for $1.49 each. Next, we calculated bus routes to determine accessibility of the retailer with the lowest prices and greatest selection. One-way bus travel from all other census tracts to a big-box store required taking two buses combined with an average of 11 min walking for an average travel time of 43 min. We deemed census tracts as “priority areas for diaper access” when they were characterized as: (1) low income and (2) low access with no retailer selling all of the 10 most common child diaper sizes.

Results:

Nearly half (n=13) of the census tracts in our sample met our criteria for priority areas. We compared neighborhood characteristics of priority areas with all other county census tracts. Families living in priority areas were statistically significantly more likely to: identify as Black or African American, face challenges affording housing costs, have homes or automobiles in need of repair, experience neighborhood violence, and have less educational attainment.

Heterogeneity in grocery shopping patterns among low-income minority women in public housing

BACKGROUND

Public housing residents, who tend to be predominantly female and racial/ethnic minorities, are at a particularly high risk for chronic health conditions. Prior studies have suggested that a lack of access to healthy and affordable food may be an important barrier in public housing communities, but evidence is mixed on the association between the neighborhood food environment and dietary quality, suggesting the need to examine food access patterns in low-income, minority communities more deeply. The purpose of this study was to examine the variability in grocery shopping patterns, and the factors that predict them, among low-income minority women in public housing.

METHODS

Interviewer-administered surveys and body composition measurements were collected in the Watts Neighborhood Health Study, an ongoing longitudinal cohort study of low-income urban public housing residents located in South Los Angeles. Descriptive analyses were conducted to understand the variation in grocery shopping patterns among women. Logistic and ordered logistic regression models were estimated to examine the association between resident characteristics and grocery shopping patterns.

RESULTS

There was considerable variability in grocery shopping patterns, including the types of grocery stores accessed, distance travelled, frequency of shopping, and reasons behind grocery store choice. Grocery shopping patterns were associated with several participant characteristics, including race/ethnicity, working status, access to a car, income, and education. Hispanic participants were less likely to shop at a supermarket, travel further distances to shop, shop more frequently, and were more likely to prioritize price in their choice of primary grocery store than non-Hispanic Black women participants.

CONCLUSIONS

There was considerable variability in grocery shopping patterns, even within this low-income, minority community despite access to the same neighborhood food environment. Convenience and quality, in addition to price, were priorities for choice of primary grocery store, and differences by race/ethnicity suggest that initiatives to improve the neighborhood food environment should consider quality of food, cultural factors, and availability of foods desired by the surrounding community, in addition to price and proximity of grocery stores.

Educational inequalities in exposure to tobacco promotion at the point of sale among adolescents in four Dutch cities

This study aimed to assess educational differences in adolescents' exposure to tobacco outlets. Data were collected among 312 13-17-year-old non-smoking secondary school students in four Dutch cities. In a smartphone app, exposure (≤10 m from outlet) was measured using GPS and participants reported their educational track (pre-vocational vs. pre-university). Associations were estimated in negative binomial regression models. Mean exposure to tobacco outlet was 16.6 times in 14 days. Pre-vocational education was associated with higher exposure compared to pre-university education (IRR:1.46, 95%CI:1.08-1.98), especially around school (IRR:2.61,95%CI:1.50-4.55). These differences may contribute to socioeconomic inequalities in smoking.

Effect of Household Income on Short-Term Outcomes Following Cerebellopontine Angle Tumor Resection

Objectives  The objective of this study is to elucidate the impact of income on short-term outcomes in a cerebellopontine angle (CPA) tumor resection population. Design  This is a retrospective regression analysis. Setting  This study was done at a single, multihospital, urban academic medical center. Participants  Over 6 years (from June 7, 2013, to April 24, 2019), 277 consecutive CPA tumor cases were reviewed. Main Outcome Measures  Outcomes studied included readmission, emergency department evaluation, unplanned return to surgery, return to surgery after index admission, and mortality. Univariate analysis was conducted among the entire population with significance set at a p -value <0.05. The population was divided into quartiles based on median household income and univariate analysis conducted between the lowest (quartile 1 [Q1]) and highest (quartile 4 [Q4]) socioeconomic quartiles, with significance set at a p -value <0.05. Stepwise regression was conducted to determine the correlations among study variables and to identify confounding factors. Results  Regression analysis of 273 patients demonstrated decreased rates of unplanned reoperation ( p  = 0.015) and reoperation after index admission ( p  = 0.035) at 30 days with higher standardized income. Logistic regression between the lowest (Q1) and highest (Q4) socioeconomic quartiles demonstrated decreased unplanned reoperation ( p  = 0.045) and decreasing but not significant reoperation after index admission ( p  = 0.15) for Q4 patients. No significant difference was observed for other metrics of morbidity and mortality. Conclusion  Higher socioeconomic status is associated with decreased risk of unplanned reoperation following CPA tumor resection.

More Frequent Food Shopping May Promote Fruit and Vegetable Intake: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Food shopping frequency may be an important modifiable factor related to increasing fruit and vegetable (FV) intake. Because of mixed findings of individual studies of shopping frequency, a systematic review is needed to examine findings across studies and store types.

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a systematic review of articles examining the relationship between frequency of food shopping and FV intake including examination of participation in federal nutrition assistance programs on FV intake, if reported.

METHODS

A search, guided by the Preferred Reported Items for Systematic Reviews and Metanalyses, using terms related to FV consumption and food shopping across 4 online databases, was conducted. Studies conducted in the US and published through October, 2020, included adults, and had a cross-sectional, longitudinal, cohort, or randomized study design were eligible for inclusion.

RESULTS

Twenty-four articles were included. The majority of studies found at least 1 positive finding between the frequency of food shopping and FV intake, indicating that as the frequency of food shopping increased, FV intake increased. In studies with 100% participation in government/federal nutrition assistance programs, participation was associated with FV intake. Studies that included participation as a subset found participation not associated with FV intake.

IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

The frequency of shopping may be modifiable to increase FV intake. Experimental research is needed to test the directionality and causality of the relationship. Federal nutrition assistance programs may be a logical place to test the relationship through the adjustment of fund disbursements.

Food Shopping Frequency of Rural Tennessee Adults With Comparisons by Federal Nutrition Assistance Participation

OBJECTIVE

To describe food shopping frequency across 7 store types in a rural context and compare food shopping frequency between federal nutrition assistance recipients and nonrecipients.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted at county fairs in rural Tennessee.

RESULTS

Reported overall mean food shopping frequency was 18.4 (SD, 13.9) times in the past 30 days. A mean of 3.1 (SD, 1.2) store types were visited, with supermarkets, convenience stores, and dollar stores the most frequented stores. Federal nutrition assistance program recipients shopped significantly less frequently than nonrecipients for overall shopping frequency (P = 0.02), supermarkets (P = 0.02), and farmers' markets (P = 0.04).

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Educating and counseling individuals on how food shopping frequency may promote nutrition and health may be important. Federal nutrition assistance programs that distribute benefits monthly may impact food shopping frequency.

Food Acquisition and Shopping Patterns in the United States: Characteristics and Relation to Body Mass Index in the US Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey

BACKGROUND

Previous studies examined the association between shopping distance, frequency, and store type separately.

OBJECTIVES

The objective is to explore food acquisition and shopping habits using multidimensional measures and examine its association with body mass index (BMI).

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study was conducted.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

Four thousand four hundred sixty-six households from the US Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey during April 2012 to January 2013 were included in this analysis.

MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES

Both continuous BMI and categorical BMI were used.

STATISTICAL ANALYSES

Latent class analysis was used to identify the latent profiles using travel distance and perceived travel time between residential location and primary store, store type, transportation mode, and farmers' market utilization. Multivariable linear regression and multinomial logistic regression were used to assess the association between the identified patterns and continuous and categorical BMI. All analyses were stratified by urbanicity.

RESULTS

Overall, 65% (weighted percentage) of households were located in an urban tract. Thirty-seven percent were categorized as Class 1 (households that shopped more proximally, used their own vehicle, and shopped at a farmers' market), 50% as Class 2 (households that shopped more distally, used their own vehicle, and shopped at a farmers' market), and 14% as Class 3 (households that shopped proximally but perceived longer travel time, used someone else's vehicle, and did not shop at a farmers' market). Among rural households, 54% were Class 1 and 46% were Class 2 (Class 3 was not identified). Socioeconomic status characteristics, proximity, and store food price concerns were associated with the identified patterns. However, no significant association was found between the identified patterns and BMI.

CONCLUSIONS

Food acquisition and shopping patterns were not associated with BMI in this national sample. However, future studies should also investigate the role of economic factors, such as food prices, in relation to shopping patterns and BMI.

Does COVID-19 Affect the Behavior of Buying Fresh Food? Evidence from Wuhan, China

COVID-19 first appeared in Wuhan city of Hubei Province in China in December 2019. It has a substantial impact on human life all around the world, especially for citizens. The threat of COVID-19 has resulted in people shopping online to get fresh food and reduce outdoor trips. Collecting data from adult internet users in Wuhan, China in 2020, this study aims to explore the influence of COVID-19 on fresh food shopping behavior. In addition, a comparison and ordered logit model are constructed to demonstrate the changes and effects of COVID-19. The results suggest that more citizens in Wuhan city will buy fresh food online and the cost and frequency are also increased. The experience of online shopping for fresh food during the lock-down days has promoted more online shopping. The factors, such as frequency of online shopping before the COVID-19 outbreak, frequency of online shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic, and age, have a negative effect on the proportion of online shopping after the lock-down days, while the proportion of online shopping before the COVID-19 outbreak, the proportion of online shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic, and travel time of in-store shopping before the COVID-19 outbreak have a positive effect. The results provide insights for managers, city planners, and policymakers.

Social Determinants of Racial Disparities in Breast Cancer Mortality Among Black and White Women

INTRODUCTION

Mortality from breast cancer among Black women is 60% greater than that of White women in South Carolina (SC). The aim of this study was to assess racial differences in mortality among Black and White breast cancer patients based on variations in social determinants and access to state-based early detection programs.

METHODS

We obtained a retrospective record for breast cancer patients diagnosed between 2002 and 2010 from the SC Central Cancer Registry. Mortality was the main outcome while race-stratified Cox proportional hazard models were performed to assess disparities in mortality. We assessed effect modification, and we used an automated backward elimination process to obtain the best fitting models.

RESULTS

There were 3286 patients of which the majority were White women (2186, 66.52%). Compared with married White women, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) for mortality was greatest among Black unmarried women (aHR 2.31, CI 1.83, 2.91). Compared with White women who lived in the Low Country region mortality was greatest among Black women who lived in the Midland (aHR 2.17 CI 1.47, 3.21) and Upstate (aHR 2.96 CI 1.96, 2.49). Mortality was higher among Black women that were not receiving services in the Best Chance Network (BCN) program (aHR 1.70, CI 1.40, 2.04) compared with White women.

CONCLUSIONS

To reduce the racial disparity gap in survival in SC, Black breast cancer patients who live in the Upstate, are unmarried, and those that are not enrolled in the BCN program may benefit from more intense navigation efforts directed at early detection and linkage to breast cancer treatments.

Food shopping, home food availability, and food insecurity among customers in small food stores: an exploratory study

Customers who frequently shop in small food stores (e.g., convenience stores) may face numerous challenges to procuring healthful food for their household, and these may vary by food security status. The purpose of this study is to examine associations between food security and food shopping-related behaviors among frequent shoppers at small stores. Our sample included participants from customer intercept interviews at small food stores in an urban area. A follow-up in-home visit with a subset of customers who reported frequently shopping in these stores (≥1/week; n = 78) included a survey and researcher-administered home food inventory. Food security status was identified via the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Six-Item Short Form. Outcomes included shopping frequency and money spent by store type (e.g., small vs. large), home-to-store distance, and observed home availability of fruits, vegetables, and obesogenic foods. We estimated associations between food security status and each outcome, adjusting for demographic and poverty-related confounders. Participants were 56% female and 65% people of color; 45% received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and 54% experienced food insecurity in the past year. Unadjusted models indicated several significant associations: compared to those who were food secure, food-insecure participants shopped for food/beverages at small stores more times per month, spent more on food/beverages at dollar stores, and had less home availability of fruit and obesogenic foods. Associations remained significant (p = .04) between food insecurity and shopping frequency in adjusted models. Interventions requiring or incentivizing small food stores to stock healthful products could be important for improving access to nutritious food for food-insecure persons.

Rural SNAP Participants and Food Insecurity: How Can Communities Leverage Resources to Meet the Growing Food Insecurity Status of Rural and Low-Income Residents?

The burden of obesity disproportionately influences poor health outcomes in rural communities in the United States. Various social and environmental factors contribute to inadequate food access and availability in rural areas, influencing dietary intakes and food insecurity rates. This study aims to identify patterns related to food insecurity and fruit and vegetable consumption within a SNAP-eligible and low-income, highly obese rural Appalachian community. A prospective cohort was implemented to identify gaps in resources addressing obesity and food insecurity challenges. SAS 9.4 software was used to examine differences in dietary intakes and shopping practices among SNAP participants. Among participants (n = 152), most reported an annual household income less than USD 20,000 (n = 90, 60.4%), 29.1% reported food insecurity, and 39.5% reported receiving SNAP benefits within the last month. The overall mean FV intake was 3.46 daily servings (95% CI: 3.06–3.91) among all participants. SNAP participation was associated with food insecurity (p = 0.007) and those participating in SNAP were two times more likely to report being food insecure (OR = 2.707, 95% CI: 1.317, 5.563), relative to non-participants. These findings further depict the need for intervention, as the burden of food insecurity persists. Tailoring health-promoting initiatives to consider rurality and SNAP participation is vital for sustainable success among these populations.

Comparing food desert residents with non-food desert residents on grocery shopping behaviours, diet and BMI: results from a propensity score analysis

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether residence in a US Department of Agriculture-designated food desert is associated with perceived access to healthy foods, grocery shopping behaviours, diet and BMI among a national sample of primary food shoppers.

DESIGN

Data for the present study came from a self-administered cross-sectional survey administered in 2015. Residential addresses of respondents were geocoded to determine whether their census tract of residence was a designated food desert or not. Inverse probability of treatment-weighted regression was used to assess whether residence in a food desert was associated with dependent variables of interest.

SETTING

USA.

PARTICIPANTS

Of 4942 adult survey respondents, residential addresses of 75·0 % (n 3705) primary food shoppers were included in the analysis.

RESULTS

Residence in a food desert (11·1 %, n 411) was not significantly associated with perceived access to healthy foods, most grocery shopping behaviours or dietary behaviour, but was significantly associated with primarily shopping at a superstore or supercentre v. a large grocery store (OR = 1·32; 95 % CI 1·02, 1·71; P = 0·03) and higher BMI (b = 1·14; 95 % CI 0·36, 1·93; P = 0·004).

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that food desert residents shop at different food stores and have higher BMI than non-food desert residents.