Studying the Relationship Between Perceived and Objective Food Environments, Dietary Intake and Weight Status in Latino Families

This study will examine associations between neighborhood food environments, dietary intake and weight status among Latino families with preschool-age children. The specific aims of this work are to: (a) identify individual, familial and environmental predictors of perceived neighborhood food environments among Latino parents, (b) examine the association between parents’ neighborhood perceptions and children’s dietary intake More

Analyzing the Financial Impact of Selling Healthy Versus Unhealthy Foods on a Small Store in a Low-Income Neighborhood

To better understand how to improve healthy food access in low-income neighborhoods, the aim of this study is to examine financial incentives around selling specific types of food. Specifically, this research will: (a) analyze the financial benefits of selling healthy and unhealthy food items from the perspective of a small food store business in a More

Investigating Access to Affordable Healthy Foods Among Rural Low-Income Children in Maine

The goal of this study is to examine how food environments influence rural childhood obesity rates and food choices, in order to ultimately help policymakers find effective rural policy interventions. Specifically, this research will investigate the community-based healthy food environment (defined as food access, cost and quality for healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, More

Assessing How Agricultural Policy Can Be Changed to Help Farmers Succeed in Producing and Distributing Healthy Food to Children and Their Communities

This project will identify laws and policies affecting production and distribution of healthier foods to local communities’ schools, institutions, farmers’ markets, and grocery stores. It will analyze policies that currently discourage farmers from producing and distributing healthy foods, and identify policies that could encourage farmers to produce and distribute healthy foods in a community-based system, More

Disparities in the Food Environment Surrounding U.S. Middle and High Schools

Easy availability of snacks, sodas, alcohol, and fast food in the immediate vicinity of a school could easily negate school food policies. Surrounding food outlets could also lower the effectiveness of health education in the classroom by setting a highly visible example that counters educational messages. The most pernicious one is arguably the location of More

Creating Healthy Food and Eating Environments: Policy and Environmental Approaches

Individual behavior to make healthy choices can occur only in a supportive environment with accessible and affordable healthy food choices. This article presents an overview of food environments and strategies for creating healthy eating environments. An ecological framework is presented for conceptualizing the many food environments and conditions that influence food choices, followed by a More