Availability, Price, and Quality of Fruits and Vegetables in 12 Rural Montana Counties, 2014.
We assessed the consumer food environment in rural areas by using the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for Stores (NEMS-S) to measure the availability, price, and quality of fruits and vegetables. We randomly selected 20 grocery stores (17 rural, 3 urban) in 12 Montana counties using the 2013 US Department of Agriculture's rural-urban continuum codes. We found significant differences in NEMS-S scores for quality of fruits and vegetables; of 6 possible points, the mean quality score was 4.5; of rural stores, the least rural stores had the highest mean quality scores (6.0). Intervention strategies should aim to increase fruit and vegetable quality in rural areas.
Food and Health Lab, Department of Health and Human Development, Montana State University, 121 PE Complex, Bozeman, MT 59715. Email: carmen.byker@montana.edu.
Carmen
C
Byker Shanks
Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana.
Selena
S
Ahmed
Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition, Omaha, Nebraska.
Teresa
T
Smith
Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana.
Bailey
B
Houghtaling
Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana.
Mica
M
Jenkins
Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana.
Miranda
M
Margetts
Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana.
Daniel
D
Schultz
Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana.
Lacy
L
Stephens
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D003132:Commerce / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D063105:Food Assistance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005523:Food Supply / Q000145:classification / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D005638:Fruit / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D006801:Humans; D009009:Montana; D009749:Nutrition Surveys / Q000379:methods; D009753:Nutritive Value; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012424:Rural Population / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D016885:United States Department of Agriculture; D014505:Urban Population / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014675:Vegetables / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards* / Q000600:supply & distribution