Social inequalities in the surrounding areas of food deserts and food swamps in a Brazilian metropolis

Larissa Loures Mendes,Milene Cristine Pessoa,Olivia Souza Honório,Inês Rugani Ribeiro de Castro,Paula Martins Horta,Lucia Helena Almeida Gratão,Daniela Silva Canella,Luana Lara Rocha

doi:10.1186/s12939-021-01501-7

Larissa Loures Mendes, Milene Cristine Pessoa

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-021-01501-7

Copy DOI

Abstract

BackgroundFood deserts are neighborhoods with little or no access to healthy food, whereas food swamps are neighborhoods where unhealthy food options prevail over healthy ones. The main aims of the current study are to feature and compare the neighborhoods of food deserts and food swamps based on social inequality.MethodsEcological study carried out in Belo Horizonte City, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Information about commercial food establishments derived from two different databases. It was measured by secondary governmental databases, which were virtually conferred in the present study. Census tracts were considered as analysis units and classified as food deserts and food swamps, based on the Brazilian methodology. Take into consideration the density of establishments classified as selling fresh or minimally-processed food, mixed establishments, and establishments selling ultra-processed food. The Brazilian methodology evaluates food deserts by the density of healthy establishments (establishments classified as mostly selling fresh or minimally-processed food and mixed establishments) per 10 thousand inhabitants. And the metric to evaluate food swamps considers the density of unhealthy establishments (establishments mostly selling ultra-processed food) per 10 thousand inhabitants. Information about social inequalities comprised aspects such as income, population count, number of households, number of literate individuals, race, water and energy supply, and garbage collection. The Health Vulnerability Index (HVI) was used as a synthetic social vulnerability indicator.ResultsNeighborhoods of food deserts presented worse essential service availability, lower income per capita, and smaller mean number of literate individuals. Census tracts classified as food swamps presented better socio-demographic conditions than those areas food deserts. Neighborhoods simultaneously classified as food deserts and food swamps presented lower income per capita and were more often observed in census sectors presenting medium and high HVI.ConclusionThe food environment in Belo Horizonte was featured by the strong presence of food deserts and food swamps. However, the potential influence of these areas on food intake has changed depending on social inequalities.

Highlights

Food deserts are neighborhoods with little or no access to healthy food, whereas food swamps are neighborhoods where unhealthy food options prevail over healthy ones
In total, 37.80% (n = 1444) of census tracts were classified as food deserts (31.20% of the population lived in these places), whereas 58.50% (n = 2240) of them were classified as food swamps (64.00% of the population lived in these places)
12.74% of census tracts were simultaneously classified as food deserts and food swamps

Summary

Introduction

Food deserts are neighborhoods with little or no access to healthy food, whereas food swamps are neighborhoods where unhealthy food options prevail over healthy ones. Access to food comprises several dimensions, such as food availability, which lies in the presence of food in specific geographic areas [1]. Metaphors such as “food deserts” and “food swamps” can be used to describe this access, as well [2]. Food deserts are socially vulnerable neighborhoods with little or no access to healthy food, whereas food swamps are neighborhoods where unhealthy food options prevail over healthy ones [3]. Individuals’ health conditions are linked to social inequality, which encompasses aspects like income, schooling, professional career, sex, ethnicity, and neighborhood [8]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion