African Americans' Access to Healthy Food Options in South Los Angeles Restaurants

Overview

Journal Am J Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2005 Mar 31

PMID 15798128

Citations 73

Authors

LaVonna Blair Lewis

David C Sloane

Lori Miller Nascimento

Allison L Diamant

Joyce Jones Guinyard

Antronette K Yancey

Gwendolyn Flynn

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: We examined availability and food options at restaurants in less affluent (target area) and more affluent (comparison area) areas of Los Angeles County to compare residents' access to healthy meals prepared and purchased away from home. We also considered environmental prompts that encourage the purchase of various foods.

Methods: We designed an instrument to assess the availability, quality, and preparation of food in restaurants. We also assessed advertisements and promotions, cleanliness, and service for each restaurant. We assessed 659 restaurants: 348 in the target area and 311 in the comparison area.

Results: The nutritional resource environment in our target area makes it challenging for residents to eat healthy away from home. Poorer neighborhoods with a higher proportion of African American residents have fewer healthy options available, both in food selections and in food preparation; restaurants in these neighborhoods heavily promote unhealthy food options to residents.

Conclusions: Environment is important in understanding health status: support for the healthy lifestyle associated with lower risks for disease is difficult in poorer communities with a higher proportion of African American residents.

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