The Rural Food Environment: A Survey of Food Price, Availability, and Quality in a Rural Florida Community
Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: This study describes a rural food environ ment, identifying positive and negative determinants of diet. Eleven food stores in a rural Florida community were mapped using Geographic In formation Systems (GIS) and surveyed for price, availability, and quality of food items using the Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey-stores (NEMS-S). Findings reveal that convenience stores comprise 72% o f food stores in this rural town. Availab ility, the presence or absence of specified healthy items, differs by store type withsupermarkets selling a variety of fresh produce and other healthy items. Convenience stores demonstrate poor availability of many healthful options including low-fat milk, low-fat baked goods and lean meats. Regard ing price, baked chips, the healthier version item, are mo re expensive compared to regular chips and healthy baked goods cost less than regular baked goods. Beverages and cereals are mo re expensive at convenience stores.Supermarkets have high quality produce and convenience stores provide quality produce when it is availab le. Convenience stores make up a large percentage of the available food sources in this s mall rural town and med iocre to poor composite scores (price + availability + quality= co mposite) for each store indicate that all stores that make up this rural food environment have room for imp rovement.
Source: Food and public health
Authors: Melissa J. Vilaro, Tracey E. Barnett
Institution: University of Florida
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W2140723866