Algert Susan J, Agrawal Aditya, Lewis Douglas S
Human Nutrition and Food Science Department, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, 91768, USA.
Am J Prev Med. 2006 May;30(5):365-70. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2006.01.009.
Access to fresh produce and other healthy foods differs between poor ethnic and wealthier non-ethnic neighborhoods. Given the need to improve access, emergency food organizations, such as food pantries, can provide assistance. Food pantry clients, many living in poor ethnic neighborhoods, are at highest risk for inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables as emergency food assistance often does not include a supply of fresh produce. This study examines the extent to which food pantry clients live within reasonable walking distance of stores carrying fresh produce, and it proposes a strategy to increase accessibility of produce to those clients.
Addresses for 3,985 food pantry clients residing in Pomona, California, in 2003 and 84 food stores categorized as selling a "variety of produce" or "limited produce" were geocoded using geographic information systems technology in 2004. A 0.8-km network buffer was used to measure access to stores. Cluster areas with high densities of food pantry clients, or hot spots, were determined.
Forty-one percent of Pomona food pantry clients were within walking distance of a store with fresh produce. Eighty-three percent were within walking distance of stores with limited produce, and 13% were not within walking distance of either store type. Seventeen cluster areas of food pantry clients accounted for 48% of clients with no access to a produce store.
Using individual-level data allowed for the identification of significant numbers of food pantry clients with limited access to stores carrying a variety of fresh produce. Identification of the location of high concentrations of food pantry clients provides a potential solution to increase fresh fruit and vegetable access via mobile produce trucks.
贫困的少数民族社区与较富裕的非少数民族社区在获取新鲜农产品及其他健康食品方面存在差异。鉴于改善获取渠道的必要性，诸如食品分发处等应急食品组织能够提供援助。食品分发处的客户很多居住在贫困的少数民族社区，由于应急食品援助通常不包括新鲜农产品供应，他们摄入水果和蔬菜不足的风险最高。本研究调查了食品分发处客户居住在距离售卖新鲜农产品商店合理步行距离内的程度，并提出一项战略以增加这些客户获取农产品的机会。
2004年，利用地理信息系统技术对2003年居住在加利福尼亚州波莫纳的3985名食品分发处客户的地址以及84家被归类为售卖“各类农产品”或“有限农产品”的食品商店进行了地理编码。使用0.8公里的网络缓冲区来衡量前往商店的便利性。确定了食品分发处客户高密度聚集的区域，即热点地区。
波莫纳食品分发处41%的客户居住在距离有新鲜农产品商店的步行距离内。83%的客户居住在距离有有限农产品商店的步行距离内，13%的客户居住在距离这两种类型商店都超过步行距离的地方。17个食品分发处客户聚集区占无法前往农产品商店的客户的48%。
使用个体层面的数据能够识别出大量难以前往售卖各类新鲜农产品商店的食品分发处客户。确定食品分发处客户高度集中的地点为通过移动农产品卡车增加新鲜水果和蔬菜的获取提供了一个潜在解决方案。
