Korean American storeowners' perceived barriers and motivators for implementing a corner store-based program

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Community Nutrition
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Corner stores are vital food retailers in urban communities, particularly serving minority populations.
• Nutrition interventions in these settings face unique challenges related to store owner engagement and cultural context.
• Korean American (KA) owned stores represent a significant segment of corner stores in many urban areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the acceptability and effectiveness of a year-long nutrition intervention implemented in East Baltimore Korean American (KA) corner stores.
• To identify motivating factors and barriers influencing storeowner participation in community-based nutrition programs.
• To understand the relationship between storeowner perceptions and the sustained stocking of healthier food options.

Main Methods:

• Formative research guided the development of a corner store-based nutrition program.
• Data collection involved in-depth interviews with seven store owners, interventionist field notes, and a follow-up survey.
• Analysis focused on storeowner motivations, barriers, perceived effectiveness, and overall program perceptions.

Main Results:

• Storeowner perceptions and program acceptability varied significantly across participating KA stores.
• Stronger storeowner support correlated with a greater likelihood of sustaining the stocking of promoted healthy foods post-intervention.
• Barriers and motivating factors for participation differed among storeowners, impacting engagement levels.

Conclusions:

• The level of storeowner support and active participation is a critical determinant of success for corner store-based nutrition interventions.
• Tailoring interventions to address specific owner needs and perceptions can enhance program acceptability and sustainability.
• Future community nutrition efforts should prioritize building strong relationships with storeowners to foster lasting change.