Making the Healthy Choice the Easy Choice: Examining the Food Environments Surrounding South Carolina’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

Abstract

Purpose To understand the distribution of healthy and unhealthy food stores and restaurants around historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in South Carolina. Design DatabaseUSA and ArcGIS Pro were used to identify, classify, and map food stores and restaurants near each HBCU. Setting The study area included a 3-mile buffer radius around the eight South Carolina HBCUs. Subjects A total of 654 food stores and restaurants were identified within a 3-mile radius of the HBCUs. Measures Demographic data for each HBCU was collected from the National Center for Education Statistics. The food stores and restaurants were identified using Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes and descriptions, and they were classified using previous research methodologies. Results Based on the analysis, 19 (2.9%), 237 (36.2%), and 398 locations (60.9%) were classified as healthy, intermediate, and unhealthy, respectively. Within a 0.5-mile radius of the HBCUs, there were no retail food stores classified as healthy, followed by 14 (2.1%) and 23 (3.5%) retail food stores and restaurants that were classified as intermediate and unhealthy, respectively. Conclusions This study shows that most food options around South Carolina HBCUs are unhealthy and that few places are available to purchase healthy food. Eating well will be difficult in the current food environment. Increasing healthy options should be part of a comprehensive approach to promoting good nutrition.