COVID-19 exacerbates unequal food access.
Armita Kar1, Yasuyuki Motoyama2, Andre L Carrel2,3
1Department of Geography, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Applied Geography (Sevenoaks, England)
|December 20, 2022
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic worsened food access inequality. Store visits varied by store type and neighborhood income, with dollar stores and low-income areas showing more resilience during lockdowns.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Urban Planning
- Socioeconomics
Background:
- Food access inequality is a persistent issue, amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The pandemic reshaped essential travel patterns and exacerbated existing social disparities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze spatio-temporal changes in food access during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- To identify socio-economic and built environment factors influencing grocery shopping behavior.
- To understand the pandemic's impact on food access disparities and business performance.
Main Methods:
- Utilized observed travel data for grocery shopping trips in Columbus, Ohio.
- Estimated changes in store visits during and after the stay-at-home period.
- Correlated store visit patterns with socio-economic and built environment variables.
Main Results:
- Dollar stores saw the least decline in visits, while big-box stores declined most but recovered fastest.
- Stores in low-income areas experienced less disruption during lockdown.
- Higher white customer percentages correlated with faster recovery; higher low-income customer percentages correlated with lower visits during lockdown.
Conclusions:
- The COVID-19 crisis highlighted and potentially worsened existing food access disparities.
- Disruptions reveal the differential impact on various retail formats and customer demographics.
- Understanding these patterns is crucial for addressing urban food security and business resilience.
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