Understanding Restaurant Healthfulness in Food Deserts

To determine differences in restaurant environments between neighborhood and restaurant type to understand better a food desert's eating environments.

The Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for restaurants was used to assess restaurant healthfulness. Kruskal-Wallis compared healthy index scores, and Pearson chi-square compared individual items.

Healthy index scores were consistently low across neighborhoods (total mean = 4.6 out of 23). Fast-food restaurants (mean = 5.7) were more healthful than sit-down restaurants (mean = 3.1). Individual comparisons showed more healthy eating facilitators (eg, nutrition information at point-of-purchase, P = 0.004) in food deserts and more available healthful items (eg, whole grain bread, P < 0.001) in the neighborhoods with high incomes.

Findings indicate equities in restaurant environments across all neighborhoods but inequities across restaurant types, thus conclude the importance of restaurant type in understanding restaurant healthfulness. Policymakers can use these findings to develop healthy eating strategies in varying neighborhoods.