title: Differences in food environment perceptions and spatial attributes of food shopping between residents of low and high food access areas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore potential differences in food shopping behaviors and healthy food availability perceptions between residents living in areas with low and high food access.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional telephone survey to assess food shopping behaviors and perceptions. Data from an 8-county food environment field census used to define the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) healthier food retail tract and US Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service food desert measure.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 968 residents in 8 South Carolina counties.
  
  
  METHODS
  Residents' food shopping behaviors and healthy food availability perceptions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Linear and logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with residents in high food access areas, residents in low food access areas traveled farther to their primary food store (US Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service: 8.8 vs 7.1 miles, P = .03; CDC: 9.2 vs 6.1 miles, P < .001), accumulated more total shopping miles per week (CDC: 28.0 vs 15.4 miles; P < .001), and showed differences in perceived healthy food availability (P < .001) and shopping access (P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings lend support to ongoing community and policy interventions aimed at reducing food access disparities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
authors.forename: Inderbir
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sohi
authors.affiliation: College of Education, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
authors.forename: Bethany A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
authors.forename: Jihong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Geography, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Battersby
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC; Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. Electronic address: liese@sc.edu.
authors.forename: Angela D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Liese
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D013022:South Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D062206:Spatial Analysis
keywords: food access disparities; food environment; food shopping behaviors; healthy food access