Al Hamdani Zahra, Jansen Matthew, Francis Tia Marie, McDaniel Philip, Melnyk Lisa Jo
Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, 135 Dauer Drive, University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
University Libraries, Davis Library, 208 Raleigh St, University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America.
PLoS One. 2025 Sep 5;20(9):e0330333. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0330333. eCollection 2025.
The adversity of diet-related diseases is increased because of food insecurity . North Carolina is higher than the national average (11.7%) in food insecurity at 13.9%. The availability of healthy foods in households depends on the spatial access within the food environment where people reside or work. This study characterized the food environment, food access and associated socioeconomic factors in the Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan statistical area (MSA) at a census block group level. Using GIS and statistical techniques, the average weighted median (AWM) was devised as measure of access for food outlets; associations between the AWM and socioeconomic variables were then investigated using multivariate regressions. For everyone in the MSA, the analysis showed lowest accessibility for fruit and vegetable markets (AWM = 2), and the highest accessibility for restaurants (AWM = 136). Relative to the White population, percentage point increase in the African American population in a block group led to a statistically significant increase in access to all categories of food outlets, with the highest increase in access of fruits and vegetable markets at 4% (p < 0.001). For every person increase in household size a decrease there was a decrease in the AWM of fruit and vegetable markets and food banks by 40%. The approach used in this study can be used in across localities measure access at a higher geographic granularity (block group level) and the associated sociodemographic factors. The results highlight disparities in food access which may require public health interventions.
由于粮食不安全，与饮食相关疾病的危害加剧。北卡罗来纳州的粮食不安全率为13.9%，高于全国平均水平（11.7%）。家庭中健康食品的可获得性取决于人们居住或工作的食物环境中的空间可达性。本研究在人口普查街区组层面描述了达勒姆-教堂山都会统计区（MSA）的食物环境、食物可达性及相关社会经济因素。利用地理信息系统（GIS）和统计技术，设计了平均加权中位数（AWM）作为食品销售点可达性的衡量指标；然后使用多元回归研究AWM与社会经济变量之间的关联。对MSA中的每个人而言，分析表明水果和蔬菜市场的可达性最低（AWM = 2），而餐馆的可达性最高（AWM = 136）。相对于白人人口，街区组中非洲裔美国人口百分比每增加一个百分点，各类食品销售点的可达性就会在统计上显著增加，其中水果和蔬菜市场的可达性增加最多，为4%（p < 0.001）。家庭规模每增加一人，水果和蔬菜市场以及食品银行的AWM就会降低40%。本研究中使用的方法可用于跨地区在更高地理粒度（街区组层面）衡量可达性及相关社会人口因素。结果突出了食物可达性方面的差异可能需要公共卫生干预措施。
