Food Environment in the Lower Mississippi Delta: Food Deserts, Food Swamps and Hot Spots.

Melissa Goodman,Jessica Thomson,Alicia Landry

doi:10.3390/ijerph17103354

Abstract

The objectives for this study were to examine the location and density of measured food outlets in five rural towns in the Lower Mississippi Delta, determine the spatial location of Delta Healthy Sprouts (DHS) participants’ homes in the food environment, and examine relationships between the spatial location of participants’ homes and their diet quality. Using a food desert/food swamp framework, food outlet geographic locations were analyzed in relation to one another, the distance between DHS participants’ residence and closest food outlets by class were computed, and associations among residents’ diet quality, hot spot status, and census tract classification were explored. Of 266 food outlets identified, 11 (4%), 86 (32%), 50 (19%), and 119 (45%) were classified as grocery stores (GS), convenience stores (CS), full-service restaurants (FS), or fast food restaurants (FF), respectively. A third of participants lived in CS hot spots, while 22% lived in FF hot spots. DHS participants lived closer in miles to CS (0.4) and FF (0.5) as compared to GS (1.6) and FS (1.1) outlets. Participants bought most groceries at national chain grocery stores rather than their closest grocery store. The food environments of the five towns and associated neighborhoods in which DHS participants resided were not supportive of healthful eating, containing both food deserts and food swamps, often in overlapping patterns.

Highlights

The United States (U.S.) Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S Department of Agriculture [1] estimate that about half of adults in the U.S have one or more preventable, diet-related chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and overweight or obesity
The majority of food outlets were classified as fast food restaurants, followed by convenience stores, full-service restaurants, and grocery stores
The majority of fast food restaurants were subclassified as stand-alone fast food restaurants, gas stations, grocery store delicatessens, and corner stores

Summary

Introduction

A number of approaches have been taken to improve diets in the U.S, including mandating healthy foods in school lunchrooms, educating individuals and the public about healthy eating, and improving access to healthy foods. These efforts have been met with varying degrees of success. Due to the well-established links of diet with obesity, chronic disease, and premature death [3,4,5,6], there is great interest in finding ways to improve diets and food selection. Based on a systematic review of the food desert literature, Beaulac and associates concluded that Americans living in low-income and minority areas

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion