title: Do people really know what food retailers exist in their neighborhood? Examining GIS-based and perceived presence of retail food outlets in an eight-county region of South Carolina.
abstract: Measures of neighborhood food environments have been linked to diet and obesity. However, the appropriate measurement methods and how people actually perceive their food environments are still unclear. In a cross-sectional study of 939 adults, the perceived presence of food outlets was compared to the geographic-based presence of outlets within a participant's neighborhood, utilizing percent agreement and Kappa statistics. Perceived presence was based on survey-administered questions, and geographic-based presence was characterized using 1-, 2-, 3- and 5-mile (1-mile=1.6km) Euclidean- and network-based buffers centered on each participant's residence. Analyses were also stratified by urban and non-urban designations. Overall, an individual's perceived neighborhood food environment was moderately correlated with the geographic-based presence of outlets. The performance of an individual's perception was most optimal using a 2- or 3-mile geographic-based neighborhood boundary and/or when the participant lived in a non-urban neighborhood. This study has implications for how researchers measure the food environment.
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA; Obesity Prevention Center, Department of Epidemiology & Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.affiliation: College of Education, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA.
authors.forename: Bethany A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Darcy A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Freedman
authors.affiliation: Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Colabianchi
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA. Electronic address: liese@sc.edu.
authors.forename: Angela D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Liese
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003132:Commerce / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D010465:Perception; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012931:Social Environment; D013022:South Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology; D016138:Walking
keywords: Food environment; Food outlets; GIS; Neighborhood; Perceptions