Area deprivation and the food environment over time: A repeated cross-sectional study on takeaway outlet density and supermarket presence in Norfolk, UK, 1990-2008.

Eva R Maguire,Pablo Monsivais,Thomas Burgoine

doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2015.02.012

Eva R Maguire, Pablo Monsivais + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2015.02.012

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Journal: Health & place	Publication Date: Apr 2, 2015
Citations: 139	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge

Abstract

Socioeconomic disparities in the food environment are known to exist but with little understanding of change over time. This study investigated the density of takeaway food outlets and presence of supermarkets in Norfolk, UK between 1990 and 2008. Data on food retail outlet locations were collected from telephone directories and aggregated within electoral wards. Supermarket presence was not associated with area deprivation over time. Takeaway food outlet density increased overall, and was significantly higher in more deprived areas at all time points; furthermore, socioeconomic disparities in takeaway food outlet density increased across the study period. These findings add to existing evidence and help assess the need for environmental interventions to reduce disparities in the prevalence of unhealthy food outlets.

Highlights

Socioeconomic disparities in the food environment are known to exist but with little understanding of change over time
Supermarkets increased in number from 31–40, a 29% increase, and average density increased from 0.2 (SD1⁄40.8) to 0.3 (SD1⁄41.0) supermarkets per 10,000 residents
When we tested supermarket presence by area deprivation across the time period in the adjusted multiple logistic regression model, we found no significant association between deprivation tertile and the odds of supermarket presence (Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Socioeconomic disparities in the food environment are known to exist but with little understanding of change over time. Takeaway food outlet density increased overall, and was significantly higher in more deprived areas at all time points; socioeconomic disparities in takeaway food outlet density increased across the study period. These findings add to existing evidence and help assess the need for environmental interventions to reduce disparities in the prevalence of unhealthy food outlets. The aims of this study were twofold: to assess the area-level density of takeaway food outlets and presence of supermarkets with respect to deprivation over time in one area of the UK, and to examine deprivation-specific food environment stability in the same neighbourhoods over time

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