Disparities in Access to Fresh Produce in Low-income Neighborhoods in Los Angeles

Background: 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.

Methods: 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.

Results: 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.

Conclusions: 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.