What role do local grocery stores play in urban food environments? A case study of Hartford-Connecticut.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Research on urban food environments emphasizes limited access to healthy food, with fewer large supermarkets and higher food prices. Many residents of Hartford, Connecticut, which is often considered a food desert, buy most of their food from small and medium-sized grocery stores. We examined the food environment in greater Hartford, comparing stores in Hartford to those in the surrounding suburbs, and by store size (small, medium, and large).

Methods

We surveyed all small (over 1,000 ft2), medium, and large-sized supermarkets within a 2-mile radius of Hartford (36 total stores). We measured the distance to stores, availability, price and quality of a market basket of 25 items, and rated each store on internal and external appearance. Geographic Information Syst

SUBMITTER: Martin KS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3981752 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature