IMPROVING FOOD ACCESS AMONG LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT CLEVELAND COUNTY, NC

The neighborhood and the built environment is a social determinant of health which impacts public health through geographic areas where people live, work, and play. Healthy food access as a factor within that social determinant highlights the distance, availability, affordability, and utilization of fresh fruits and produce that are present in particular communities throughout Cleveland County. Poor healthy food access has been connected to 28% increased risk for hypertension and 12% increased risk for diabetes. The proposed program and policy aim to bring healthy foods to low-income populations. The program will partner with Farmer’s Fresh Market Initiative to connect locally farmed produce to the community via a driver network, and the policy will incentivize food retailers to open stores in low-income and low-access areas. Keywords: Cleveland County, North Carolina, social determinants of health, neighborhood and built environment, low-income, healthy food access, program, and policy.Master of Public Healt