title: African Americans' access to healthy food options in South Los Angeles restaurants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined availability and food options at restaurants in less affluent (target area) and more affluent (comparison area) areas of Los Angeles County to compare residents' access to healthy meals prepared and purchased away from home. We also considered environmental prompts that encourage the purchase of various foods.
  
  
  METHODS
  We designed an instrument to assess the availability, quality, and preparation of food in restaurants. We also assessed advertisements and promotions, cleanliness, and service for each restaurant. We assessed 659 restaurants: 348 in the target area and 311 in the comparison area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The nutritional resource environment in our target area makes it challenging for residents to eat healthy away from home. Poorer neighborhoods with a higher proportion of African American residents have fewer healthy options available, both in food selections and in food preparation; restaurants in these neighborhoods heavily promote unhealthy food options to residents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Environment is important in understanding health status: support for the healthy lifestyle associated with lower risks for disease is difficult in poorer communities with a higher proportion of African American residents.
authors.affiliation: School of Policy, Planning and Development, University of Southern California, 650 Childs Way, Ralph and Goldy Lewis Hall Room 309, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0626, USA. llewis@usc.edu
authors.forename: LaVonna Blair
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Sloane
authors.forename: Lori Miller
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Nascimento
authors.forename: Allison L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Diamant
authors.forename: Joyce Jones
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Guinyard
authors.forename: Antronette K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Yancey
authors.forename: Gwendolyn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Flynn
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004034:Diet Surveys; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D011204:Poverty Areas; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012147:Restaurants