P5 - Healthy Corners: What Variables Predict Sustainability?

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Background (Background, Rationale, Prior Research, and/or Theory): Lack of access to healthful foods is a contributing factor to higher rates of chronic conditions. To address this determinant of health and increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables, corner stores have been targeted to transition from a traditional to a healthy corner store, particularly in food deserts. The question of whether these stores will sustain this initiative, after current subsidies end, remains unclear. Objective: The goal of the healthy corners' evaluation is to understand what variables predict continuity (sustainability) in providing healthy items should the financial and technical assistance supports for the program be reduced or eliminated. Study Design, Setting, Participants, Intervention: District of Columbia (DC) has been actively engaged in supporting 71 healthy corner stores to increase the sale of fresh fruits and vegetables. Using nine variables such as sales data, Nutrition Environment Measures Survey—Corner Store, and owner surveys, we created a Healthy Corner Store Scorecard to predict sustainability of the market. Outcome Measures and Analysis: Forty two stores had complete datasets that were used in the analysis. Using the Healthy Corner Scorecard, a higher score may predict long-term sustainability. Results: Years in the healthy corners program, store owner involvement, and variety and pounds of fruit and vegetables sold appear to predict the sustainability of a healthy corner store. Stores that have been in the healthy corner store program for an average of 58 months, earned the highest scores on the scorecard. Conclusions and Implications: Transitioning traditional corner stores to healthy corner stores takes long-term support, funding, and time. DC has made an investment to improve food access to its most vulnerable residents. It appears from the store-level data that DC is making great progress in having corner stores offer healthful food items. Additional research is needed to fully answer the sustainability question. Funding: Department of Health, Washington, DC.