title: Personal characteristics, cooking at home and shopping frequency influence consumption.
abstract: This study examines how the consumption of fruits and vegetables is affected by home cooking habits and shopping patterns, including distance to patronized stores and frequency of shopping, in two low-income predominantly African American urban neighborhoods in New Orleans, Louisiana. In-person interviews were conducted in 2013 with 901 adult residents who identified themselves as the primary household shopper. Respondents were asked where and how often they shopped and answered a food frequency questionnaire. Addresses were geocoded and distances to the stores where respondents shopped were calculated. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between food consumption and personal factors, neighborhood factors and shopping habits. Consumption of daily servings of fresh produce increased by 3% for each additional trip to a grocery store, by 76% for shopping at a farmer's market, and by 38% for preparing food at home. Each additional trip to a convenience store increased the frequency of consumption of chips, candy and pastries by 3%. The distance from residence to the type of store patronized was not associated with consumption of produce or chips, candy or pastries. Shopping at full-service grocery stores, farmer's markets and cooking at home were positively associated with the consumption of fresh produce while shopping at convenience stores was associated with increased consumption of chips, candy and pastries. These findings are useful for designing programmatic interventions to increase fresh fruit and vegetable consumption among residents in low-income urban communities.
authors.affiliation: Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Jeanette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gustat
authors.affiliation: Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Yu-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Keelia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: O'Malley
authors.affiliation: Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Luckett
authors.affiliation: Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Leann
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.affiliation: Friends of Lafitte Greenway, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Leonetta
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Terrell
authors.affiliation: Broad Community Connections, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Amoss
authors.affiliation: National Network of Public Health Institutes, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.affiliation: Dillard University, 2601 Gentilly Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70122, USA.
authors.forename: Peter T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.affiliation: Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Carolyn C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Johnson
keywords: African Americans; Consumption; Fruits and vegetables; Low-income; Shopping frequency