Research & Publications | Healthy Eating Research

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Improved Parental Dietary Quality is Associated with Children’s Dietary Intake Through the Home Environment

This study aimed to assess the relative impact of the home food environment on children’s diet after the introduction of a new supermarket in a food desert. This study builds upon a natural experiment to longitudinally examine the food-purchasing behaviors and diets among a randomly selected population of households in two major Pittsburgh food desert More

Date: March 2017

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Diet Quality & Healthy Weight Food Access

Measures of Retail Food Store Environments and Sales: Review and Implications for Healthy Eating Initiatives

This review describes available measures of retail food store environments, including data collection methods, characteristics of measures, the dimensions most commonly captured across methods, and their strengths and limitations. Articles were included if they were published between 1990 and 2015 in an English-language peer-reviewed journal and presented original research findings on the development and/or use More

Date: April 2016

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Food Access Food Retail

Understanding the Feasibility of Implementing the Recommendations for Minimum Stocking Levels and Marketing Strategies for Small Retail Food Stores

The purposes of this project are to: 1) understand the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of the Minimum Stocking Levels and Marketing Strategies of Healthful Foods for Small Retail Food Stores recommendations developed in 2015 among stores most likely to face challenges (rural and urban, dollar and family-owned stores), and 2) obtain a baseline More

Date: March 2016

Resource Type: Commissioned Research Project Summary

Focus Areas: Food Access Food Retail

Minimum Stocking Levels and Marketing Strategies of Healthful Foods for Small Retail Food Stores

The healthfulness of foods and beverages found in retail food stores differs widely across the United States, both by location of the store as well as by store type. Some communities have limited access to stores that carry healthful staple foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grain-rich foods, and low-fat dairy products, and these More

Date: February 2016

Resource Type: Expert Panel Report

Focus Areas: Food Access Food Marketing Food Retail

Assessment of a Government-Subsidized Supermarket in a High-Need Area on Household Food Availability and Children’s Dietary Intakes

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of a new government-subsidized supermarket in a high-need area on household food availability and dietary habits in children. In September 2011, a new supermarket was opened in the Morrisania community in the South Bronx, New York, with funding from New York City’s Food Retail Expansion More

Date: February 2015

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Food Access Food Retail Pricing & Economics

Moving from Policy to Implementation: A Methodology and Lessons Learned to Determine Eligibility for Healthy Food Financing Projects

Financing programs to incentivize healthy food retail development in communities classified as “underserved” are taking place at the local, state, and national levels. Implementing these policies requires a clear definition of eligibility for program applicants and policy administrators. This paper describes a process to implement an eligibility analysis for healthy food financing programs and shares More

Date: March 2014

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Food Access Food Retail Pricing & Economics

Meaningful, Measurable, and Manageable Approaches to Evaluating Healthy Food Financing Initiatives: An Overview of Resources and Approaches

Healthy food financing initiatives are a relatively new approach to improve access to healthy foods, enabling healthy food retailers to locate or renovate food outlets in underserved communities through one-time financing assistance. This paper provides guidance on using meaningful, measurable, and manageable methods to evaluate healthy food financing efforts. The authors outline a number of More

Date: November 2013

Resource Type: Journal Article

Focus Areas: Food Access

Economic and Community Development Outcomes of Healthy Food Retail

New grocery stores, corner stores, farmers’ markets, and other food retailers can generate a significant economic stimulus for communities–especially communities of color and lower-income communities. This paper examines the connection between improved healthy food retail and resulting economic and community development. Several types of innovations in food retail, distribution, and production are examined, and select More

Date: June 2013

Resource Type: Report

Focus Areas: Food Access Food Retail Nutrition Policy & Programs Pricing & Economics

Economic and Community Development Outcomes of Healthy Food Retail. An Issue Brief

New grocery stores, corner stores, farmers’ markets, and other food retailers can generate a significant economic stimulus for communities–especially communities of color and lower-income communities. This paper examines the connection between improved healthy food retail and resulting economic and community development. Several types of innovations in food retail, distribution, and production are examined, and select More

Government and School Progress to Promote a Healthful Diet to American Children and Adolescents: A Comprehensive Review of the Available Evidence

In a 2005 report, “Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity?”, an Institute of Medicine (IOM) expert committee concluded that prevailing food and beverage marketing practices did not support a healthful diet and provided recommendations for diverse stakeholders to promote a healthful diet to children and adolescents. This paper reviews the available evidence More