Food Outlet Accessibility and Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

Abstract

Purpose.

To examine if spatial access to healthy and unhealthy outlets comprising the local food environment was associated with fruit and vegetable consumption.

Design.

Cross-sectional.

Setting.

Population-based sample residing in Hawaii.

Subjects.

Three hundred and eighty-four adults (36% Asian-American, 33% non-Hispanic white, 31% other/mixed race).

Measures.

A spatial model of the local food environment was constructed using radial buffers extending from participants' place of residence. Fruit and vegetable intake was estimated using the National Cancer Institute Fruit and Vegetable All-Day Screener.

Analysis.

Mean intakes of fruits and vegetables were compared for spatial access to total, healthy, and unhealthy food outlets at distances of .5 to 3.5 km. Multiple linear regression was used to estimate differences in fruit and vegetable intake for residing further from a food outlet or for residing in an area with a greater number of food outlets.

Results.

Residing in an area with a greater density of total or healthy food outlets was associated with a higher mean intake of fruits and vegetables (p < .05) at .5 km. No differences in mean intakes were detected for distances beyond .5 km or for regression models.

Conclusion.

Findings suggest that greater spatial accessibility to food outlets comprising the local food environment in Hawaii may not be meaningfully associated with fruit and vegetable consumption; however, associations were detected for the smallest spatial scale examined, warranting further investigation.