Details:

Alternative Title:
Prev Chronic Dis
Personal Author:
Valdez, Zulema ; Ramírez, A. Susana ; Estrada, Erendira ; Grassi, Kathleen ; Nathan, Stephanie
Valdez, Zulema ; Ramírez, A. Susana ; Estrada, Erendira ; Grassi, Kathleen ; Nathan, Stephanie Less -
Description:
Introduction

Attention has focused on the food environment as a result of the growing concern with obesity rates among Latinos in rural areas. Researchers have observed associations between a lack of physical access to affordable produce in areas where supermarkets and grocery stores are limited and poor dietary intake and obesity; these associations are high in rural, low-resource neighborhoods with a high population of Latino residents. We aimed to engage residents of low-resource, Latino-majority neighborhoods in discussions of food access in a rural yet agricultural community setting, which is typically described as a “food desert.”

Methods

We used a mixed-methods approach and conducted 3 focus groups (n = 20) and in-depth interviews (n = 59) and surveys (n = 79) with residents of a rural yet agricultural community. We used thematic analysis to explore residents’ perceptions of access to healthy foods.

Results

Residents (n = 79; mean age, 41.6 y; 72% female; 79% Latino; 53% Spanish-speaking) reported that dollar and discount stores in this agricultural area provided access to produce; however, produce at retail stores was less affordable than produce at nonretail outlets such as fruit and vegetable stands. Gifts and trades of fruits and vegetables from neighbors and community organizations supplied no-cost or low-cost healthy foods. Residents’ suggestions to improve food access centered on lowering the cost of produce in existing retail outlets and seeking out nonretail outlets.

Conclusion

Our findings contribute to understanding of the food environment in low-resource, rural yet agricultural areas. Although such areas are characterized as “food deserts,” residents identified nonretail outlets as a viable source of affordable produce, while indicating that the cost of retail produce was a concern. Innovative policy solutions to increase healthy food consumption must focus on affordability as well as accessibility, and consider alternate, nonretail food outlets in agricultural areas.


Subjects:
[+]
Adolescent Adult Female Focus Groups Food Supply Fruit Hispanic Or Latino Humans Male Obesity Poverty Areas Rural Population Surveys And Questionnaires Vegetables Young Adult
Source:
Prev Chronic Dis. 13.
Pubmed ID:
27978407
Pubmed Central ID:
PMC5201142
Document Type:
Journal Article
Place as Subject:
California
Collection(s):
Preventing Chronic Disease
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:07c769edc8a97740b4d7eb0ba2faf6feda2e24b255b52c57a852a732bb1ac67c
Download URL:
https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/43732/cdc_43732_DS1.pdf
File Type:

Supporting Files

• PCD-13-E170.nxml

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