Change in an urban food environment within a single year: Considerations for food-environment research and community health
Past research on food-environment change has been limited in key ways: (1) considering only select storefront businesses; (2) presuming items sold based on businesses category; (3) describing change only in ecological terms; (4) considering multi-year intervals. The current study addressed past limi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Preventive Medicine Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335520300620 |
| _version_ | 1818500587673616384 |
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| author | Sean C. Lucan Andrew R. Maroko Aurora Jin Aixin Chen Charles Pan Geohaira Sosa Clyde B. Schechter |
| author_facet | Sean C. Lucan Andrew R. Maroko Aurora Jin Aixin Chen Charles Pan Geohaira Sosa Clyde B. Schechter |
| author_sort | Sean C. Lucan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Past research on food-environment change has been limited in key ways: (1) considering only select storefront businesses; (2) presuming items sold based on businesses category; (3) describing change only in ecological terms; (4) considering multi-year intervals. The current study addressed past limitations by: (1) considering a full range of both storefront and non-storefront businesses; (2) focusing on items actually offered (both healthful and less-healthful varieties); (3) describing individual-business-level changes (openings, closings, changes in offerings); (4) evaluating changes within a single year. Using a longitudinal, matched-pair comparison of 119 street segments in the Bronx, NY (October 2016-August 2017), investigators assessed all businesses—food stores, restaurants, other storefront businesses (OSBs), street vendors—for healthful and less-healthful food/drink offerings. Changes were described for individual businesses, individual street segments, and for the area overall. Overall, the number (and percentage) of businesses offering any food/drink increased from 45 (41.7%) in 2016 to 49 (45.8%) in 2017; businesses newly opening or newly offering food/drink cumulatively exceeded those shutting down or ceasing food/drink sales. In 2016, OSBs (gyms, barber shops, laundromats, furniture stores, gas stations, etc.) together with street vendors represented 20.0% and 27.3% of businesses offering healthful and less-healthful items, respectively; in 2017, the percentages were 31.0% and 37.0%. While the number of businesses offering healthful items increased, the number offering less-healthful items likewise increased and remained greater. If change in a full range of food/drink availability is not appreciated: food-environment studies may generate erroneous conclusions; communities may misdirect resources to address food-access disparities; and community residents may have increasing, but unrecognized, opportunities for unhealthful consumption. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T20:44:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fa8dfe42c7a14eb0a2987889599baafa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2211-3355 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T20:44:46Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Preventive Medicine Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-fa8dfe42c7a14eb0a2987889599baafa2022-12-22T01:34:17ZengElsevierPreventive Medicine Reports2211-33552020-09-0119101102Change in an urban food environment within a single year: Considerations for food-environment research and community healthSean C. Lucan0Andrew R. Maroko1Aurora Jin2Aixin Chen3Charles Pan4Geohaira Sosa5Clyde B. Schechter6Department of Family and Social Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine | Montefiore Health System, Bronx, NY, United States; Corresponding author.Department of Environmental, Occupational, and Geospatial Health Sciences, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, New York, NY, United StatesAlbert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United StatesAlbert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United StatesAlbert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United StatesQueens College, Queens, NY, United StatesDepartment of Family and Social Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine | Montefiore Health System, Bronx, NY, United StatesPast research on food-environment change has been limited in key ways: (1) considering only select storefront businesses; (2) presuming items sold based on businesses category; (3) describing change only in ecological terms; (4) considering multi-year intervals. The current study addressed past limitations by: (1) considering a full range of both storefront and non-storefront businesses; (2) focusing on items actually offered (both healthful and less-healthful varieties); (3) describing individual-business-level changes (openings, closings, changes in offerings); (4) evaluating changes within a single year. Using a longitudinal, matched-pair comparison of 119 street segments in the Bronx, NY (October 2016-August 2017), investigators assessed all businesses—food stores, restaurants, other storefront businesses (OSBs), street vendors—for healthful and less-healthful food/drink offerings. Changes were described for individual businesses, individual street segments, and for the area overall. Overall, the number (and percentage) of businesses offering any food/drink increased from 45 (41.7%) in 2016 to 49 (45.8%) in 2017; businesses newly opening or newly offering food/drink cumulatively exceeded those shutting down or ceasing food/drink sales. In 2016, OSBs (gyms, barber shops, laundromats, furniture stores, gas stations, etc.) together with street vendors represented 20.0% and 27.3% of businesses offering healthful and less-healthful items, respectively; in 2017, the percentages were 31.0% and 37.0%. While the number of businesses offering healthful items increased, the number offering less-healthful items likewise increased and remained greater. If change in a full range of food/drink availability is not appreciated: food-environment studies may generate erroneous conclusions; communities may misdirect resources to address food-access disparities; and community residents may have increasing, but unrecognized, opportunities for unhealthful consumption.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335520300620Food environmentUrbanLongitudinal changeObesityMeasurement |
| spellingShingle | Sean C. Lucan Andrew R. Maroko Aurora Jin Aixin Chen Charles Pan Geohaira Sosa Clyde B. Schechter Change in an urban food environment within a single year: Considerations for food-environment research and community health Preventive Medicine Reports Food environment Urban Longitudinal change Obesity Measurement |
| title | Change in an urban food environment within a single year: Considerations for food-environment research and community health |
| title_full | Change in an urban food environment within a single year: Considerations for food-environment research and community health |
| title_fullStr | Change in an urban food environment within a single year: Considerations for food-environment research and community health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Change in an urban food environment within a single year: Considerations for food-environment research and community health |
| title_short | Change in an urban food environment within a single year: Considerations for food-environment research and community health |
| title_sort | change in an urban food environment within a single year considerations for food environment research and community health |
| topic | Food environment Urban Longitudinal change Obesity Measurement |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335520300620 |
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