Association Between Food Desert Residence and Ischemic Stroke Risk: A Population-Based Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Cardiovascular Disease Research

Background:

• Food deserts (FDs) are characterized by low income and limited access to healthy foods.
• Residents of FDs exhibit higher rates of cardiovascular risk factors.
• The association between FDs and stroke incidence requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between residence in a food desert and incident ischemic stroke.
• To determine if low income or poor food access are the primary drivers of this association.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Study (GCNKSS) for hospitalized stroke cases in 2015.
• Geocoded patient addresses and identified FDs using USDA Food Access Research Atlas definitions.
• Employed Poisson regression models to analyze stroke incidence rates by FD status, income, and food access, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

• A total of 1,802 first-ever ischemic strokes were identified.
• Unadjusted analysis showed a higher stroke incidence in FD residents (IRR 1.23).
• After full adjustment, low area income was significantly associated with increased stroke incidence (IRR 1.21), while poor food access was not (IRR 0.91).

Conclusions:

• Food desert residence is linked to increased stroke risk, predominantly driven by low area income.
• Poor food access alone was not a significant predictor of stroke incidence in this study.
• Further research into food environment metrics is needed to clarify links between income, diet, and stroke risk.