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Food Environment in the Lower Mississippi Delta: Food Deserts, Food Swamps and Hot Spots

Author

Listed:
  • Melissa Goodman

    (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA)

  • Jessica Thomson

    (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA)

  • Alicia Landry

    (Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR 72035, USA)

Abstract

The objectives for this study were to examine the location and density of measured food outlets in five rural towns in the Lower Mississippi Delta, determine the spatial location of Delta Healthy Sprouts (DHS) participants’ homes in the food environment, and examine relationships between the spatial location of participants’ homes and their diet quality. Using a food desert/food swamp framework, food outlet geographic locations were analyzed in relation to one another, the distance between DHS participants’ residence and closest food outlets by class were computed, and associations among residents’ diet quality, hot spot status, and census tract classification were explored. Of 266 food outlets identified, 11 (4%), 86 (32%), 50 (19%), and 119 (45%) were classified as grocery stores (GS), convenience stores (CS), full-service restaurants (FS), or fast food restaurants (FF), respectively. A third of participants lived in CS hot spots, while 22% lived in FF hot spots. DHS participants lived closer in miles to CS (0.4) and FF (0.5) as compared to GS (1.6) and FS (1.1) outlets. Participants bought most groceries at national chain grocery stores rather than their closest grocery store. The food environments of the five towns and associated neighborhoods in which DHS participants resided were not supportive of healthful eating, containing both food deserts and food swamps, often in overlapping patterns.

Suggested Citation

  • Melissa Goodman & Jessica Thomson & Alicia Landry, 2020. "Food Environment in the Lower Mississippi Delta: Food Deserts, Food Swamps and Hot Spots," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-13, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:10:p:3354-:d:357005
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Hunt Allcott & Rebecca Diamond & Jean-Pierre Dubé & Jessie Handbury & Ilya Rahkovsky & Molly Schnell, 2019. "Food Deserts and the Causes of Nutritional Inequality," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 134(4), pages 1793-1844.
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    Cited by:

    1. Victoria Tanoh & Leila Hashemi-Beni, 2023. "Spatial Analysis of Socioeconomic Factors Contributing to Food Desert in North Carolina," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-11, May.
    2. Jacqueline Araneda-Flores & Patricio Oliva Moresco & Gladys Quezada-Figueroa & Luz Lobos-Fernandez & Barbara Leyton & Anna Christina Pinheiro, 2022. "Development and Validation of a Set of Instruments to Measure Food Environments," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-10, October.
    3. Chanell O. Haley & Chelsea R. Singleton & Lily E. King & Lauren Dyer & Katherine P. Theall & Maeve Wallace, 2024. "Association of Food Desert Residency and Preterm Birth in the United States," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(4), pages 1-11, March.
    4. Ana Luisa Reyes-Puente & Dalia Guadalupe Peña-Portilla & Sofía Alcalá-Reyes & Laura Rodríguez-Bustos & Juan Manuel Núñez, 2022. "Changes in Food Environment Patterns in the Metropolitan Area of the Valley of Mexico, 2010–2020," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-15, July.

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