Characterizing Rural Food Access in Remote Areas

Bardenhagen, Chris J.; Pinard, Courtney A.; Pirog, Rich; Yaroch, Amy L.

doi:10.1007/s10900-017-0348-1

Cited by 22 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Australian studies consistently show significant increases in food pricing as one moves from inner city to suburban to regional and rural areas [ 16 , 17 , 35 , 36 ]. “Out-shopping”, purchasing food outside of one’s local area from a larger centre, is therefore a common practice in rural areas [ 37 ] to benefit from lower prices and greater variety. In this study, differences in food prices were observed across the LGA, with prices 8–10% higher in the south.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Healthy Diets in Rural Victoria—Cheaper than Unhealthy Alternatives, Yet Unaffordable

Love

Whelan

Bell

et al. 2018

IJERPH

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Rural communities experience higher rates of obesity and reduced food security compared with urban communities. The perception that healthy foods are expensive contributes to poor dietary choices. Providing an accessible, available, affordable healthy food supply is an equitable way to improve the nutritional quality of the diet for a community, however, local food supply data are rarely available for small rural towns. This study used the Healthy Diets ASAP tool to assess price, price differential and affordability of recommended (healthy) and current diets in a rural Local Government Area (LGA) (pop ≈ 7000; 10 towns) in Victoria, Australia. All retail food outlets were surveyed (n = 40). The four most populous towns had supermarkets; remaining towns had one general store each. Seven towns had café/take-away outlets, and all towns had at least one hotel/pub. For all towns the current unhealthy diet was more expensive than the recommended healthy diet, with 59.5% of the current food budget spent on discretionary items. Affordability of the healthy diet accounted for 30–32% of disposable income. This study confirms that while a healthy diet is less expensive than the current unhealthier diet, affordability is a challenge for rural communities. Food security is reduced further with restricted geographical access, a limited healthy food supply, and higher food prices.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Healthy Diets in Rural Victoria—Cheaper than Unhealthy Alternatives, Yet Unaffordable

Love

Whelan

Bell

et al. 2018

IJERPH

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many rural areas experience diminishing population sizes, which reduces financial viability leading to the consolidation or closure of food stores [ 16 , 17 ]. With poor access to healthy food within close proximity, rural residents are reliant on transportation (public or private), incurring additional costs, and they frequently are forced to shop outside their local area, a phenomenon known as ‘out-shopping’ [ 17 ]. Out-shopping creates a vicious cycle for rural economies as revenue shifts to outside enterprises, and local businesses struggle to provide sufficient variety at low cost to attract and retain customers [ 17 ], adding further to rural economic decline.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With poor access to healthy food within close proximity, rural residents are reliant on transportation (public or private), incurring additional costs, and they frequently are forced to shop outside their local area, a phenomenon known as ‘out-shopping’ [ 17 ]. Out-shopping creates a vicious cycle for rural economies as revenue shifts to outside enterprises, and local businesses struggle to provide sufficient variety at low cost to attract and retain customers [ 17 ], adding further to rural economic decline. General stores, and ‘take-away’ food outlets, located in close proximity to residents, often with extended operating hours, may become the main source of food for rural communities [ 18 ], particularly those with limited mobility.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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You Can’t Find Healthy Food in the Bush: Poor Accessibility, Availability and Adequacy of Food in Rural Australia

Whelan

Millar

Bell

et al. 2018

IJERPH

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In high-income countries, obesity disproportionately affects those from disadvantaged and rural areas. Poor diet is a modifiable risk factor for obesity and the food environment a primary driver of poor diet. In rural and disadvantaged communities, it is harder to access affordable and nutritious food, affecting both food insecurity and the health of rural residents. This paper aims to describe the food environment in a rural Australian community (approx. 7000 km2 in size) to inform the development of community-relevant food supply interventions. We conducted a census audit of the food environment (ground truthing) of a local government area (LGA). We used the Nutrition Environment Measurement tools (NEMS-S and NEMS-R) to identify availability of a range of food and non-alcoholic beverages, the relative price of a healthy compared to a less healthy option of a similar food type (e.g., bread), the quality of fresh produce and any in-store nutrition promotion. Thirty-eight food retail outlets operated at the time of our study and all were included, 11 food stores (NEMS-S) and 27 food service outlets (NEMS-R). The mean NEMS-S score for all food stores was 21/54 points (39%) and mean NEMS-R score for all food service outlets was 3/23 points (13%); indicative of limited healthier options at relatively higher prices. It is difficult to buy healthy food beyond the supermarkets and one (of seven) cafés across the LGA. Residents demonstrate strong loyalty to local food outlets, providing scope to work with this existing infrastructure to positively impact poor diet and improve food security.

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“…Also, ethnic groups and aboriginal communities have reportedly felt disenfranchised over the years as food selection has not always reflected their communities' diversity (Charlebois and Camp II, 2007;Charlebois, McCormick and Juhasz, 2016;Howard, 2017). Furthermore, it is known that residents of rural areas may have limited access to healthy foods, which leads to higher incidence of diet related health issues, and that smaller grocers in rural areas experience challenges in maintaining fresh produce and other healthy foods available for customers (Le Vallé e and Charlebois, 2015; Bardenhagen et al, 2017). trade associations and collective action in grocery wholesaling around the world, but not necessarily on how management can differentiate and strategize differently.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grocery Experience Survey: A Canadian Perspective on Service, Product and Management Specifies

Charlebois¹,

Music²

2019

JFR

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The socio-economic significance of independent grocers has been, for the most part, underappreciated and overlooked for several decades in the Western world. Few studies have been looked at the field in recent years and even less so in Canada. Retail studies have highlighted the sector’s evolution, particularly the emergence of multiple channel designs. The primary focus of previous studies has been on food retailing, but not ownership and localized market adaptation. This study intended to identify the limitations of our knowledge related to independent grocers in Canada. By using our study’s outcome and identifying key drivers for market adaptation, this study aspires to highlight their somewhat subordinate relationship to government and the difficulties of modernising their business methods. Results show that Canadians regularly visit 2.3 grocery stores on average, 1.29 times a moth for an average duration of 32 minutes. Results also show that service specificity, and to a certain extent, product specificity can provide independent grocers with an advantage. While most consumers value receiving assistance when needed, younger consumers appreciate knowing who works at the grocery store they visit. Trust on ownership is also key in management specificity. This study provides a platform for future research on independently own grocers.  

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Characterizing Rural Food Access in Remote Areas

Cited by 22 publications

References 37 publications

Healthy Diets in Rural Victoria—Cheaper than Unhealthy Alternatives, Yet Unaffordable

Healthy Diets in Rural Victoria—Cheaper than Unhealthy Alternatives, Yet Unaffordable

You Can’t Find Healthy Food in the Bush: Poor Accessibility, Availability and Adequacy of Food in Rural Australia

Grocery Experience Survey: A Canadian Perspective on Service, Product and Management Specifies

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