Abstract
BackgroundNumerous researchers have documented associations between neighborhood food environments and residents' diets. However, few quantitative studies have examined the food shopping behaviors of residents in low-income neighborhoods, including the types of stores patronized and frequency of visits. This study presents findings on the food shopping behaviors of residents in the Bronx neighborhoods of West Farms and Fordham.MethodsStreet-intercept surveys were conducted in spring 2012 with residents of West Farms and Fordham as part of a broader program evaluation. The survey included questions on general food shopping behaviors including visits to neighborhood bodegas (corner stores) and supermarkets, mode of transportation to the supermarket most commonly frequented, and the primary source for purchases of fruits and vegetables.ResultsThe survey was conducted with 505 respondents. The sample was 59% Hispanic and 34% black, with a median age of 45 years. Thirty-four percent of respondents had less than a high school education, 30% were high school graduates or had their GED, and 36% had attended some college. Almost all respondents (97%) shopped at supermarkets in their neighborhood; 84% usually shopped at a supermarket within their neighborhood, and 16% usually shopped at a supermarket outside of their neighborhood. Most respondents (95%) shopped at bodegas in their neighborhood, and 65% did so once per day or more.ConclusionsResidents of these neighborhoods have high exposure to local food stores, with the vast majority of respondents shopping at neighborhood supermarkets and bodegas and almost 2 in 3 respondents going to bodegas every day. These findings demonstrate the important role of supermarkets and bodegas in local residents' shopping patterns and support the inclusion of these stores in efforts to create food environments that support and promote healthy eating.
Highlights
Concerns about increasing rates of obesity and other diet-related diseases have led researchers and practitioners to examine the relationship between food environments and residents’ diets
Most respondents (95%) shopped at bodegas in their neighborhood, and 65% did so once per day or more. Residents of these neighborhoods have high exposure to local food stores, with the vast majority of respondents shopping at neighborhood supermarkets and bodegas and almost 2 in 3 respondents going to bodegas every day
Forty-seven percent lived in the Fordham ZIP code and 53% lived in West Farms (Table 1)
Summary
Concerns about increasing rates of obesity and other diet-related diseases have led researchers and practitioners to examine the relationship between food environments and residents’ diets. A number of strategies have been implemented across the country to improve food environments, including providing incentives for new supermarkets to locate in underserved neighborhoods and encouraging corner stores to carry and promote healthier foods[2,3]. Shop Healthy’s approach is based on the social-ecological model, which recognizes that individuals interact with multiple levels of influence, including societal, community, institutional, interpersonal, and individual, and illustrates the need to intervene at all of these levels[7]. Following this model, Shop Healthy employs a comprehensive approach to food retail by addressing multiple components of the food environment. This paper reports on survey findings relating to respondents’ food shopping behaviors
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