African American Food Environments and Anti-Inflammatory Intake in Pregnancy

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Nutritional Science
• Urban Health Disparities

Background:

• Understanding the built food environment's impact on diet is crucial for maternal and child health.
• Spatial determinants of food access influence dietary patterns and health outcomes, particularly in urban settings.
• Previous research suggests proximity to healthy food retailers is beneficial, but nuances exist.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the built food environment (distance and density of food retailers) and nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory food intake.
• To examine these relationships specifically among African American pregnant women in an urban environment.
• To test hypotheses regarding proximity to grocery stores versus fast-food and convenience stores.

Main Methods:

• Utilized cross-sectional data from the Early Life Adversity, Biological Embedding (eLABE) study.
• Employed geographic information system (GIS) data to map food retailer locations.
• Conducted linear regression analyses to assess associations between built food environment and dietary intake, adjusting for covariates.

Main Results:

• Shorter distance to fast-food restaurants was associated with higher legume intake.
• Longer distance to grocery stores was also associated with higher legume intake.
• These associations were observed in adjusted models, indicating a counterintuitive relationship.

Conclusions:

• The study identified unexpected associations between the built food environment and legume intake in African American pregnant women.
• Living closer to fast-food outlets and farther from grocery stores correlated with increased legume consumption.
• Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms behind these counterintuitive findings and inform targeted interventions.