title: Fruit and vegetable access differs by community racial composition and socioeconomic position in Detroit, Michigan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the availability, selection, quality, and price of fresh fruit and vegetables at food stores in four Detroit-area communities: 1) predominately African-American, low socioeconomic position (SEP); 2) racially heterogeneous, low SEP; 3) predominately African-American, middle SEP; and 4) racially heterogeneous, middle SEP.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional observational survey, conducted fall 2002.
  
  
  METHODS
  Detroit, Michigan
  
  
  METHODS
  Overall, 304 food stores located in the four communities were evaluated: chain grocery, large independent grocery, "mom-and-pop" grocery, specialty (meat, fruit and vegetable markets), convenience without gasoline, and liquor stores.
  
  
  METHODS
  Availability was indicated by whether a store carried fresh fruit or vegetables, selection was based on a count of 80 fruit and vegetables, quality was evaluated according to USDA guidelines for a subset of 20 fruit and vegetables, and price was assessed for 20 fruit and vegetables by using the lowest-cost method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean quality of fresh produce was significantly lower in the predominately African-American, low-SEP community than in the racially heterogeneous, middle-SEP community. Differences in the types of stores present only partially explained this quality differential. The predominately African-American, low-SEP community had more than four times more liquor stores and fewer grocery stores per 100,000 residents than the racially heterogeneous, middle-SEP community. Mean overall selection and price of fresh produce at stores did not differ among communities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increasing access to high-quality fresh produce in low-income communities of color is a critical first step toward improving health through better dietary practices in this population.
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago, Institute for Health Research and Policy, Chicago, IL 60608, USA. szenk@uic.edu
authors.forename: Shannon N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Zenk
authors.forename: Amy J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Israel
authors.forename: Sherman A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Shuming
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Mark L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005006:Ethnicity; D005638:Fruit / Q000191:economics / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D006801:Humans; D008824:Michigan; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012923:Social Class; D014675:Vegetables / Q000191:economics / Q000600:supply & distribution*