Abstract

Berneece Herbert, Colmore S. Christian, Chukudi V. Izeogu and Olayemi Babalola

Access to nutritious and healthy food, a key pillar of food security, has become a national and global challenge particularly for individuals and families living in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. Although no real consensus exists about the definition of food access, researchers have agreed that the components include nutritionally adequate, culturally appropriate and affordable food. Access involves households possessing sufficient income to purchase healthy food and includes proximity and the ability to travel to sources that offers such food. The lack of access contributes not only to poor health outcomes but to social inequity. Studies that measure food insecurity find major disparities in the food store environment by race and income and other socio-economic measures. This research assesses food store density as an indicator of the health of the food environment and its relations to food insecurity. It concluded that food insecurity rates were highest in rural, high minority counties located primarily in Alabama Black Belt. The results question the role of supermarkets as a solution to food security and conclude that the location of supermarkets and large grocery stores may not be the most effective solution to the “grocery gap” in lowincome communities.