Availability, Affordability, and Accessibility of a Healthful Diet in a Low-Income Community, Central Falls, Rhode Island, 2007-2008

Details

• Journal Article:
  Preventing Chronic Disease (PCD)
• Personal Author:
  Gans, Kim M. ; Sheldon, Marissa ; Tai, Ryan ; George, Tiffiney ; Pearlman, Deborah N. ; Lawson, Eliza
• Description:
  Background ; Many Americans have diets that do not meet the dietary guidelines set by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Additionally, low-income people have the highest rates of obesity and have difficulty accessing the necessary foods for maintaining a healthful diet. ; Context ; In December 2007 and January 2008, 21 retail food stores in Central Falls, Rhode Island, where residents were predominantly low-income Hispanics, were evaluated for the availability and costs of foods that fulfill the USDA's Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) guidelines. ; Methods ; Each surveyed store was evaluated for variety and weekly cost of 3 different types of market baskets (2 families and an elder). Each store's proximity to public transportation was estimated by using geographic information systems mapping. ; Outcome ; Only 2 stores in Central Falls and the discount supermarket in an adjacent city, Pawtucket, carried enough variety of foods to fill the TFP basket. At the 2 stores, costs were up to 40% higher, and at the discount store, costs were up to 18% cheaper, than the national average. Each of the stores was accessible by public transportation. ; Interpretation ; Meeting the USDA TFP guidelines is difficult in this low-income, predominantly Hispanic city. Although the components of the TFP are available, high prices may make a nutritious diet unaffordable.
• Subjects:
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Commerce
  • Diet
  • Female
  • Food
  • Food Supply
  • Humans
  More +
• Source:
  Prev Chronic Dis. 7(2).
• ISSN:
  1545-1151
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Rhode Island
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  7
• Issue:
  2
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/20452/cdc_20452_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 383.95 KB]
• Collection(s):
  Preventing Chronic Disease
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:9f0b3b288aa2c8f3cc03d98f310dcdc344a3bf9bebf3bbb16218a43d2a63c699d06e96dff9473fc765f006724169c5d05d11a056ee3175e68862b57e77b5dc6e