A Food Retail-Based Intervention on Food Security and Consumption

Abstract

The effect of the built environment on diet (and ensuing health outcomes) is less understood than the effect of diet on obesity. Natural experiments are increasingly advocated in place of cross-sectional studies unable to suggest causality. The central research question of this paper, therefore, asks whether a neighborhood-level food retail intervention will affect dietary habits or food security. The intervention did not have a significant impact on fruit and vegetable consumption, and the intervention population actually purchased prepared meals more frequently. More problematic, only 8% of respondents overall regularly consumed enough fruits and vegetables, and 34% were food insecure. Further complicating this public health issue, the new grocery store closed after 17 months of operation. Results indicate that geographic access to food is only one element of malnutrition, and that multi-pronged dietary interventions may be more effective. The economic failure of the store also suggests the importance of non-retail interventions to combat malnutrition.

The Impact of Proximity to Wet Markets and Supermarkets on Household Dietary Diversity in Nanjing City, China

“…In contrast, other studies maintain that there is no causal linkage between access to food markets and dietary diversity. A study in Michigan, USA, for example, found that physical distance to food outlets providing healthy food did not significantly influence fruit and vegetable consumption [5]. Another study suggests that it is the price of food in supermarkets, rather than the physical distance to market, that most influences the consumption of fruits and vegetables [6].…”

Food Desertification: Situating Choice and Class Relations within an Urban Political Economy of Declining Food Access

“…at the same time, single interventions such as a new grocery store can make for rather draconian solutions to the complexity of poor food access, which is shaped by both the supply-side factors noted above and socioeconomic conditions of particular places. Nevertheless, they are currently the most studied food desert interventions, and the results here are similarly mixed (cf., Wrigley, 2002;Cummins et al, 2005Cummins et al, , 2008Sadler, Gilliland, & arku, 2013).…”

Food Justice: What is it? Where has it been? Where is it going?

“…Indeed, environmental ecology is instrumental in physical activity-related behaviors, eating patterns, and access to nutritious foods. Yet, disparities exist within physical environments based on factors such as neighborhood socioeconomic status [20,21].…”

“…In this sense, food security interventions that rely on the establishment of grocery stores may not be operative in food system change. Similarly, emergency food programs targeting diverse populations may not be effective in decreasing food insecurity if service providers fail to offer culturally-appropriate food and support services when distributing food [20,33]. Food security initiatives, like alternative food movements, can be seen as seeking a re-distribution of benefits within dominant, oppressive food systems to combat hunger and promote wholesome, nutritious ways of eating within marginalized communities.…”

“…Many of these focus on at-risk groups such as children, pregnant women, and older adults and revolve around foodborne illness and food safety; measures of food security; environmental issues such as climate change and genetically modified crops; and national and global food aid policies. The concept of food security benefits from the diverse and experimental nature of the literature, particularly given the associations between food insecurity, health status indicators such as obesity and malnutrition, and special interest groups such as immigrants, school children, and mothers [20,28,33].…”