Optimizing access to fruits and vegetables in rural communities: A decision-making model for the placement of produce markets.

ABSTRACT: Many rural communities experience limited access to fruits and vegetables (FV) and may benefit from food environment interventions to increase the number of produce markets selling FV. Systems analysis is an innovative approach for informing policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change interventions for the food retail environment. However, there has been little research. This study describes a new decision-making model that optimizes placement of new FV markets in a rural community in Texas based on combinations of three intervention factors: recommended driving distance to nearest produce market, service capacity of new and existing FV markets, and financial resources. Models estimated the potential effects of three intervention outcomes: the number of new FV markets, the ratio of fas

SUBMITTER: Perez E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12469377 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature