Food Deserts and the Sociology of Space: Distance to Food Retailers and Food Insecurity in an Urban American Neighborhood
Recent changes in food retailing structure have led to the development of large supercenters in suburban areas of the United States. These changes have led some authors to suggest that there are food deserts in some urban areas, where food is difficult to access, especially for disadvantaged consumers. This study tests the food desert hypothesis by comparing the distance from food retailers to food secure and food insecure households in one urban, Midwest neighborhood. This study utilizes GIS to compare household survey respondent locations against the location of various types of area food retailers. Results of this study indicate no apparent difference between food secure and insecure households in the reported importance of distance on the decision to shop at various retailers. However, there were differences in the spatial relationship between households and retailers. Food insecure households tended to be located slightly farther from large food retailers and slightly closer to convenience stores. Furthermore, food insecure households reported traveling slightly farther to their primary food retailer. The differences between the two groups was, however, relatively small.
[1] M.M. Zimmerman, M.M. (1941). "The Supermarket and the Changing
Retail Structure." Journal of Marketing Vol. 5, no 4, pp. 402-409.
[2] P. Kaufman (1995). "Fewer But Larger Supermarkets." Food Review
Vol. 18, no 2, pp. 26-30.
[3] J.E. Tillotson (2005). "Wal-Mart and Our Food." Nutrition Today, Vol.
40, no 5, pp. 234-237.
[4] N. Wrigley, D. Warm, B. Margetts, and A. Whelan. (2002). "Assessing
the Impact of Improved Retail Access on Diet in a 'Food Desert': A
Preliminary Report." Urban Studies Vol. 39, no 11, pp. 2061-2082.
[5] A. Ehrenhalt, Alan. (2006). "The Grocery Gap." Governing, Vol. 19, no
7, pp. 9-10.
[6] T. Lang and M. Caraher. (1998). "Access to healthy foods: Part II. Food
poverty and shopping deserts: What are the implications for health
promotion policy and practice?" Health Education Journal, Vol. 57, pp.
202-211.
[7] S. Cummins and S. Macintyre. (2002). "Food deserts"--evidence and
assumption in health policy making." British Medical Journal Vol. 325,
pp. 436-438.
[8] A.J.M. Donkin, A.J.M., E.A. Dowler, S.J. Stevenson, and S. Turner.
(2000). "Mapping access to food in a deprived area: The development of
price and availability indices." Public Health Nutrition Vol. 3, no 1,
pop.33-38.
[9] K. Morland, S. Wing, A.D. Roux, and C. Poole. (2002). "Neighborhood
Characteristics Associated with the Location of Food Stores and Food
Service Places." American Journal of Preventative Medicine, Vol. 22, no
1, pp. 23-29.
[10] A. Whelan,, N. Wrigley, D. Warm, and E. Cannings. (2002). "Life in a
'Food Desert'." Urban Studies Vol. 39, no 11, pp. 2083-2100.
[11] T. Blanchard and T. Lyson. (2002). "Access to Low Cost Groceries in
Nonmetropolitan Counties: Large Retailers and the Creation of Food
Deserts." in Measuring Rural Diversity Conference Proceedings.
Washington, DC: Economic Research Service, US Department of
Agriculture.
[12] S. Furey, C. Strugnell, and H. McIlveen. (2001). "An investigation of the
potential existence of "food deserts" in rural and urban areas of Northern
Ireland." Agriculture and Human Values Vol. 18, pp 447-457.
[13] C. Guy. (1985). "The Food and Grocery Shopping Behavior of
Disadvantaged Consumers: Some Results from the Cardiff Consumer
Panel." Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, New Series
Vol. 10, no 2, pp. 181-190.
[14] B. Hall. (1983). "Neighborhood Differences in Retail Food Stores:
Income Versus Race and Age of Population." Economic Geography Vol.
59, no 3, pp. 282-295.
[15] L.F. Alwitt and T.D. Donley. (1997). "Retail Stores in Poor Urban
Neighborhoods." The Journal of Consumer Affairs Vol. 31, no 1, pp.
139-164.
[16] R. Cummins and S. Macintyre. (2002b). "A Systematic Study of an
Urban Foodscape: The Price and Availability of Food in Greater
Glasgow." Urban Studies Vol 39, no 11, pp. 2115-2130.
[17] G. Clarke, H. Eyre, and C. Guy. (2002). "Deriving Indicators of Access
to Food Retail Provisions in British Cities: Studies of Cardiff, Leeds and
Bradford." Urban Studies Vol. 39, no 11, pp. 2041-2060.
[18] S.A. French, M. Story, and R. Jeffery. (2001). "Environmental
Influences on Eating and Physical Activity." Annual Review of Public
Health Vol. 22, pp. 309-335.
[19] J. Sobal and B. Wansink. (2007). "Kitchenscapes, Tablescapes,
Platescapes, and Foodscapes: Influences of Microscale Built
Environments on Food Intakes." Environment and Behavior Vol. 39, no
124, pp. 124-142.
[20] K. Morland, S. Wing, and A,D. Roux. (2002). "The Contextual Effect of
the Local Food Environment on Residents' Diets: The Atherosclerosis
Risk in Communities Study." American Journal of Public Health Vol 92,
no 11, pp. 1761-1767.
[21] M. Nord, Mark, M. Andrews, and S. Carlson. (2006). "Household Food
Security in the United States, 2005." Food and Rural Economics
Division, Economic Research Service, US Department of Agriculture,
Washington DC.
[22] B. Cohen, Barbara. (2002). "Community Food Security Assessment
Toolkit." Economic Research Service, US Department of Agriculture,
Washington, DC.
[23] K. Pothukuchi, J. Hugh, H. Burton, and A. Fisher. (2002). What's
Cooking in Your Food System? A Guide to Community Food
Assessment. Venice, CA: Community Food Security Coalition.
[24] V. Iannoaccacchione, J. Staab, and D. Redden. (2003). "Evaluating the
Use of Residential Mailing Addresses in a Metropolitan Household
Survey." Public Opinion Quarterly Vol. 67, no 2, pp. 202-210.
[25] J. Jenness. (2004). Nearest features (nearfeat.avx) extension for
ArcView 3.x, v. 3.8a. Jenness Enterprises. Available at:
http://www.jennessent.com/arcview/nearest_features.htm.
[26] J. Jenness. (2004). Distance and bearing between matched features
(distbyid.avx) extension for ArcView 3.x, v. 2. Jenness Enterprises.
Available at: http://www.jennessent.com/arcview/distance_by_id.htm.
[27] J. Jabs and C.M. Devine. (2006). "Time scarcity and food choices: An
overview." Appetite Vol. 47, pp. 196-204.
[1] M.M. Zimmerman, M.M. (1941). "The Supermarket and the Changing
Retail Structure." Journal of Marketing Vol. 5, no 4, pp. 402-409.
[2] P. Kaufman (1995). "Fewer But Larger Supermarkets." Food Review
Vol. 18, no 2, pp. 26-30.
[3] J.E. Tillotson (2005). "Wal-Mart and Our Food." Nutrition Today, Vol.
40, no 5, pp. 234-237.
[4] N. Wrigley, D. Warm, B. Margetts, and A. Whelan. (2002). "Assessing
the Impact of Improved Retail Access on Diet in a 'Food Desert': A
Preliminary Report." Urban Studies Vol. 39, no 11, pp. 2061-2082.
[5] A. Ehrenhalt, Alan. (2006). "The Grocery Gap." Governing, Vol. 19, no
7, pp. 9-10.
[6] T. Lang and M. Caraher. (1998). "Access to healthy foods: Part II. Food
poverty and shopping deserts: What are the implications for health
promotion policy and practice?" Health Education Journal, Vol. 57, pp.
202-211.
[7] S. Cummins and S. Macintyre. (2002). "Food deserts"--evidence and
assumption in health policy making." British Medical Journal Vol. 325,
pp. 436-438.
[8] A.J.M. Donkin, A.J.M., E.A. Dowler, S.J. Stevenson, and S. Turner.
(2000). "Mapping access to food in a deprived area: The development of
price and availability indices." Public Health Nutrition Vol. 3, no 1,
pop.33-38.
[9] K. Morland, S. Wing, A.D. Roux, and C. Poole. (2002). "Neighborhood
Characteristics Associated with the Location of Food Stores and Food
Service Places." American Journal of Preventative Medicine, Vol. 22, no
1, pp. 23-29.
[10] A. Whelan,, N. Wrigley, D. Warm, and E. Cannings. (2002). "Life in a
'Food Desert'." Urban Studies Vol. 39, no 11, pp. 2083-2100.
[11] T. Blanchard and T. Lyson. (2002). "Access to Low Cost Groceries in
Nonmetropolitan Counties: Large Retailers and the Creation of Food
Deserts." in Measuring Rural Diversity Conference Proceedings.
Washington, DC: Economic Research Service, US Department of
Agriculture.
[12] S. Furey, C. Strugnell, and H. McIlveen. (2001). "An investigation of the
potential existence of "food deserts" in rural and urban areas of Northern
Ireland." Agriculture and Human Values Vol. 18, pp 447-457.
[13] C. Guy. (1985). "The Food and Grocery Shopping Behavior of
Disadvantaged Consumers: Some Results from the Cardiff Consumer
Panel." Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, New Series
Vol. 10, no 2, pp. 181-190.
[14] B. Hall. (1983). "Neighborhood Differences in Retail Food Stores:
Income Versus Race and Age of Population." Economic Geography Vol.
59, no 3, pp. 282-295.
[15] L.F. Alwitt and T.D. Donley. (1997). "Retail Stores in Poor Urban
Neighborhoods." The Journal of Consumer Affairs Vol. 31, no 1, pp.
139-164.
[16] R. Cummins and S. Macintyre. (2002b). "A Systematic Study of an
Urban Foodscape: The Price and Availability of Food in Greater
Glasgow." Urban Studies Vol 39, no 11, pp. 2115-2130.
[17] G. Clarke, H. Eyre, and C. Guy. (2002). "Deriving Indicators of Access
to Food Retail Provisions in British Cities: Studies of Cardiff, Leeds and
Bradford." Urban Studies Vol. 39, no 11, pp. 2041-2060.
[18] S.A. French, M. Story, and R. Jeffery. (2001). "Environmental
Influences on Eating and Physical Activity." Annual Review of Public
Health Vol. 22, pp. 309-335.
[19] J. Sobal and B. Wansink. (2007). "Kitchenscapes, Tablescapes,
Platescapes, and Foodscapes: Influences of Microscale Built
Environments on Food Intakes." Environment and Behavior Vol. 39, no
124, pp. 124-142.
[20] K. Morland, S. Wing, and A,D. Roux. (2002). "The Contextual Effect of
the Local Food Environment on Residents' Diets: The Atherosclerosis
Risk in Communities Study." American Journal of Public Health Vol 92,
no 11, pp. 1761-1767.
[21] M. Nord, Mark, M. Andrews, and S. Carlson. (2006). "Household Food
Security in the United States, 2005." Food and Rural Economics
Division, Economic Research Service, US Department of Agriculture,
Washington DC.
[22] B. Cohen, Barbara. (2002). "Community Food Security Assessment
Toolkit." Economic Research Service, US Department of Agriculture,
Washington, DC.
[23] K. Pothukuchi, J. Hugh, H. Burton, and A. Fisher. (2002). What's
Cooking in Your Food System? A Guide to Community Food
Assessment. Venice, CA: Community Food Security Coalition.
[24] V. Iannoaccacchione, J. Staab, and D. Redden. (2003). "Evaluating the
Use of Residential Mailing Addresses in a Metropolitan Household
Survey." Public Opinion Quarterly Vol. 67, no 2, pp. 202-210.
[25] J. Jenness. (2004). Nearest features (nearfeat.avx) extension for
ArcView 3.x, v. 3.8a. Jenness Enterprises. Available at:
http://www.jennessent.com/arcview/nearest_features.htm.
[26] J. Jenness. (2004). Distance and bearing between matched features
(distbyid.avx) extension for ArcView 3.x, v. 2. Jenness Enterprises.
Available at: http://www.jennessent.com/arcview/distance_by_id.htm.
[27] J. Jabs and C.M. Devine. (2006). "Time scarcity and food choices: An
overview." Appetite Vol. 47, pp. 196-204.
@article{"International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences:59916", author = "Brian J. Thomas", title = "Food Deserts and the Sociology of Space: Distance to Food Retailers and Food Insecurity in an Urban American Neighborhood", abstract = "Recent changes in food retailing structure have led to the development of large supercenters in suburban areas of the United States. These changes have led some authors to suggest that there are food deserts in some urban areas, where food is difficult to access, especially for disadvantaged consumers. This study tests the food desert hypothesis by comparing the distance from food retailers to food secure and food insecure households in one urban, Midwest neighborhood. This study utilizes GIS to compare household survey respondent locations against the location of various types of area food retailers. Results of this study indicate no apparent difference between food secure and insecure households in the reported importance of distance on the decision to shop at various retailers. However, there were differences in the spatial relationship between households and retailers. Food insecure households tended to be located slightly farther from large food retailers and slightly closer to convenience stores. Furthermore, food insecure households reported traveling slightly farther to their primary food retailer. The differences between the two groups was, however, relatively small.
", keywords = "Food desert, food retailer, food security, sociology.", volume = "4", number = "7", pages = "1764-10", }
