Food Environment: Availability And Affordability Of Fruits, Vegetables, And Other Healthy Foods In Guilford County, North Carolina

This study explores the built food environment in terms of food items availability and affordability in different types of stores and neighborhoods in Guilford County. A market basket list generated out of the USDA community food security toolkit was used to collect data on availability and prices of fruits and vegetables from three different stores types (Supermarkets, Grocery Stores, and Convenience Stores) in the county. Availability and affordability comparisons were undertaken by store type and income areas using (ANOVA) with a t-test. In general there were significant differences in availability and affordability of fruits and vegetables between supermarkets and grocery stores, supermarkets and convenience stores, and grocery stores and convenience stores. Fruits and vegetables availability was higher in supermarkets and lowest in convenience stores. Fruit and vegetables prices tended to be similar and lower in supermarkets and grocery stores, but different and higher in convenience stores. Similar results were obtained for bread and other grain products by store types. Comparison by area income indicate that middle income neighborhoods tended to have the highest foods availability, followed by higher income areas, and then lower income neighborhoods. However, prices of fruits and vegetables and other healthy foods overall were similar between the different income areas in Guilford County. Policies directed at improving the xii availability and affordability of fruits and vegetables in smaller type stores and in lower income areas would help increase access to healthy foods