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Food outlet accessibility and fruit and vegetable consumption
Nicholas J Ollberding1, Claudio R Nigg, Karly S Geller
1University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Honolulu, HI, USA.
American Journal of Health Promotion : AJHP
|July 4, 2012
Summary
Greater access to healthy food outlets within 0.5 km was linked to increased fruit and vegetable consumption. However, this association between the local food environment and diet quality diminished at larger distances.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- The local food environment, encompassing food outlet accessibility, influences dietary choices.
- Understanding the spatial relationship between food environments and fruit and vegetable consumption is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between spatial access to healthy and unhealthy food outlets and fruit and vegetable consumption among adults in Hawaii.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional, population-based study of 384 adults in Hawaii.
- Spatial modeling using radial buffers from residences to assess local food environment.
- Fruit and vegetable intake measured using the National Cancer Institute Fruit and Vegetable All-Day Screener.
Main Results:
- Higher density of total or healthy food outlets within 0.5 km was associated with increased fruit and vegetable intake (p < .05).
- No significant associations were found for distances greater than 0.5 km.
- Regression models did not reveal significant differences in intake based on proximity or density beyond the smallest scale.
Conclusions:
- Spatial accessibility to food outlets in Hawaii showed a limited association with fruit and vegetable consumption.
- A significant association was observed only at the smallest spatial scale (0.5 km), suggesting proximity is key.
- Further research is warranted to explore these localized associations in the food environment.
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