According to the USDA, low-income families are twice as likely to not buy fruits or vegetables in a given week than higher-income families (19% to 10%) (Blisard, Stewart, & Joliffe, 2004). This may be because unhealthy foods like cookies and sugary beverages tend to be cheaper per calorie than produce (Cohen, 2010).

In addition to costliness, location can also be a barrier to healthy eating. In a study examining neighborhood food availability on the body mass indices of adolescents, close proximity to chain supermarkets was significantly correlated with lower BMI, while close proximity to convenience stores was significantly correlated with higher BMI (Powell, et al., 2007). Recently, in Flint, MI, moving the city’s farmer’s market to a more walkable, central downtown area resulted in a ten percent increase in shoppers from poorer neighborhoods (McMillan, 2016).

Access to affordable produce has been shown to be associated with lower average body mass index and lower obesity rates in kindergarten through 3^rd grade students (Sturm & Datar, 2005). The issue of childhood obesity is particularly urgent, as it is believed that childhood patterns, or trajectories, of behavior and health carry over to adult outcomes (Wethington, 2005), and diet is known to play a role in the prevention of chronic diseases, including but not limited to obesity (Story et al., 2008).

Other factors contributing to the local food environment include acceptability (people’s attitudes about the local food environments attributes relative to personal standards) and accommodation (how food sources adapt to consumer needs, such as accommodating store hours and accepted forms of payment) (Caspi, et al., 2012).

I have created an online map tool able to be used by anyone, especially those on a budget, which provides locations and information on local grocery stores. This interactive map provides ratings based on relative produce prices, and other valuable information like store hours, public transit routes, and walkability ratings. It is my hope that systematically comparing pricing and providing comprehensive store information will remove barriers to affordable and healthy food and, in turn, encourage healthy eating behaviors. The map construction process consisted of several steps, listed below.

1.     Systematic collection of produce prices at grocery stores across Ithaca

2.     Omission of items not found at all stores and standardization of price scales (e.g. conversion of individual item prices to per-pound prices)

3.     Calculation of store average produce prices and “Ithaca average” benchmark

4.     Categorization of stores (below average, near-average [within $1], or above average) based on store prices relative to “Ithaca average” benchmark

5.     Collection of other information (e.g. store hours, bus routes, walkability ratings)

References

Blisard N, Stewart H, Joliffe D. (2004) Low-income households’ expenditures on

fruits and vegetables. ERS Research Brief. US Department of Agriculture. http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aer833/aer833_researchbrief.pdf

Caspi, C. E., Sorensen, G., Subramanian, S., & Kawachi, I. (2012). The local food

environment and diet: A systematic review. Health & Place,18(5), 1172-1187. doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2012.05.006

Cohen, D. A. (2010). Evidence on the Food Environment and Obesity. Preventing

Childhood Obesity Evidence Policy and Practice, 113-119. doi:10.1002/9781444318517.ch14

McMillan, T. (2016, February 19). In Flint, Mich., Moving The Farmers Market Drew

More Poor Shoppers. NPR. Retrieved from

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/02/19/467368993/in-flint-mich-moving-

the-farmers-market-drew-more-poor-shoppers

Powell, L. M., Auld, M. C., Chaloupka, F. J., O’Malley, P. M., & Johnston, L. D. (2007).

Associations Between Access to Food Stores and Adolescent Body Mass Index. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 33(4).

Story, M., Kaphingst, K. M., Robinson-O'brien, R., & Glanz, K. (2008). Creating Healthy

Food and Eating Environments: Policy and Environmental Approaches. Annu. Rev. Public. Health. Annual Review of Public Health, 29(1), 253-272. doi:10.1146/annurev.publhealth.29.020907.090926

Sturm, R., & Datar, A. (2005). Body mass index in elementary school children,

metropolitan area food prices and food outlet density. Public Health, 119(12), 1059-1068.

Wethington, E. (2005). An Overview of the Life Course Perspective: Implications for

Health and Nutrition. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 37(3), 115-120. doi:10.1016/s1499-4046(06)60265-0