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You Can’t Find Healthy Food in the Bush: Poor Accessibility, Availability and Adequacy of Food in Rural Australia

Author

Listed:
  • Jill Whelan

    (School of Medicine, Global Obesity Centre, Deakin University, Geelong 3220, Australia)

  • Lynne Millar

    (Australian Health Policy Collaboration, Victoria University, Melbourne 3000, Australia
    Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), The University of Melbourne and Western Health, St Albans 3021, Australia)

  • Colin Bell

    (School of Medicine, Global Obesity Centre, Deakin University, Geelong 3220, Australia)

  • Cherie Russell

    (School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong 3220, Australia)

  • Felicity Grainger

    (School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong 3220, Australia)

  • Steven Allender

    (School of Health and Social Development, Global Obesity Centre, Deakin University, Geelong 3220, Australia)

  • Penelope Love

    (School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong 3220, Australia
    Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN), Deakin University, Geelong 3220, Australia)

Abstract

In high-income countries, obesity disproportionately affects those from disadvantaged and rural areas. Poor diet is a modifiable risk factor for obesity and the food environment a primary driver of poor diet. In rural and disadvantaged communities, it is harder to access affordable and nutritious food, affecting both food insecurity and the health of rural residents. This paper aims to describe the food environment in a rural Australian community (approx. 7000 km 2 in size) to inform the development of community-relevant food supply interventions. We conducted a census audit of the food environment (ground truthing) of a local government area (LGA). We used the Nutrition Environment Measurement tools (NEMS-S and NEMS-R) to identify availability of a range of food and non-alcoholic beverages, the relative price of a healthy compared to a less healthy option of a similar food type (e.g., bread), the quality of fresh produce and any in-store nutrition promotion. Thirty-eight food retail outlets operated at the time of our study and all were included, 11 food stores (NEMS-S) and 27 food service outlets (NEMS-R). The mean NEMS-S score for all food stores was 21/54 points (39%) and mean NEMS-R score for all food service outlets was 3/23 points (13%); indicative of limited healthier options at relatively higher prices. It is difficult to buy healthy food beyond the supermarkets and one (of seven) cafés across the LGA. Residents demonstrate strong loyalty to local food outlets, providing scope to work with this existing infrastructure to positively impact poor diet and improve food security.

Suggested Citation

  • Jill Whelan & Lynne Millar & Colin Bell & Cherie Russell & Felicity Grainger & Steven Allender & Penelope Love, 2018. "You Can’t Find Healthy Food in the Bush: Poor Accessibility, Availability and Adequacy of Food in Rural Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-15, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:10:p:2316-:d:177247
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cauchi, Daniel & Pliakas, Triantafyllos & Knai, Cécile, 2017. "Food environments in Malta: Associations with store size and area-level deprivation," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 39-47.
    2. David Marshall & John Dawson & Laura Nisbet, 2018. "Food access in remote rural places: consumer accounts of food shopping," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 52(1), pages 133-144, January.
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    Cited by:

    1. Katherine Kent & Laura Alston & Sandra Murray & Bonnie Honeychurch & Denis Visentin, 2022. "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Rural Food Security in High Income Countries: A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-29, March.
    2. Christina Mary Pollard & Sue Booth, 2019. "Addressing Food and Nutrition Security in Developed Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-5, July.
    3. Stephanie Louise Godrich & Flavio Macau & Katherine Kent & Johnny Lo & Amanda Devine, 2022. "Food Supply Impacts and Solutions Associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Regional Australian Case Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-16, March.
    4. Carlo Russo & Cesar Revoredo-Giha, 2024. "Food expensiveness in remote areas of Scotland: a natural experiment measuring the out-shopping effect," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 16(4), pages 1019-1029, August.
    5. Penelope Love & Jillian Whelan & Colin Bell & Jane McCracken, 2019. "Measuring Rural Food Environments for Local Action in Australia: A Systematic Critical Synthesis Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-21, July.
    6. Giovanni Vecchio & Bryan Castillo & Rodrigo Villegas & Carolina Rojas Quezada & Stefan Steiniger & Juan Antonio Carrasco, 2023. "Elderly Walking Access to Street Markets in Chile: An Asset for Food Security in an Unequal Country," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-18, February.
    7. Catherine Dumont & Lucy M. Butcher & Frances Foulkes-Taylor & Anna Bird & Andrea Begley, 2021. "Effectiveness of Foodbank Western Australia’s Food Sensations ® for Adults Food Literacy Program in Regional Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-12, August.

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