Keyword: Rural

Evidence for Validity of Five Secondary Data Sources for Enumerating Retail Food Outlets in Seven American Indian Communities in North Carolina

By

This study compared the results of direct, on-site observations of a wide range of food outlets in multiple American Indian communities in North Carolina, without a list guiding the field observation, to several secondary data sources. Researchers identified 699 food outlets during primary on-site data collection. The match rate for primary and secondary data differed More

Convenience Stores and the Marketing of Foods and Beverages through Product Assortment

By

Product assortment–the presence and variety of foods and beverages–is a key in-store marketing strategy to influence consumer choice.  This paper examines product assortment within conveniences stores in rural Texas-border colonias. Researchers found that convenience stores in this area provide a greater assortment of less healthy foods and beverages compared with healthier foods and beverages. Convenience More

Tools for Healthy Tribes: Improving Access to Healthy Foods in Indian Country

By

This paper describes how the American Indian Healthy Eating Project evolved through five phases: 1) starting the conversation; 2) conducting multidisciplinary formative research; 3) strengthening partnerships and tailoring policy options; 4) disseminating community-generated ideas; and 5) accelerating action while fostering sustainability. The article discusses each phase’s essential steps, outcomes derived, and lessons learned. Collectively, these More

Interventions in Small Food Stores to Change the Food Environment, Improve Diet, and Reduce Risk of Chronic Disease

By

In recent years, public health practitioners have aimed to improve the food environment and purchasing patterns in small food stores, yet studies summarizing these interventions and their effectiveness are lacking. This paper reviews small-store interventions and discusses their impact on healthy food access and consumption. Findings of the review indicate that small-store interventions significantly improve More

How Does the Rural Food Environment Affect Rural Childhood Obesity?

By

This paper examines the association between the rural food environment and rural lower-income children’s food consumption and obesity rates in six rural towns in Maine. Researchers found few significant relationships between the community food environment and the home food environment. A marginally significant relationship was found between the distance parents traveled to shop and the More

Do Farm Subsidies Cause Obesity? Dispelling Common Myths About Public Health and the Farm Bill

By

It is often argued that farm subsidies have led to the overproduction of commodity crops, and removing these subsidies would help combat obesity by discouraging overproduction of crops that are the base ingredients of unhealthy foods. This white paper analyzes the public health and agricultural economic literature and primary and secondary agriculture policy documents to More

Demographic and Financial Characteristics of School Districts with Low and High A La Carte Sales in Rural Kansas Public Schools

By

This paper examines how Kansas school districts with low à la carte sales differ from districts with moderate to high à la carte sales on important demographic and financial characteristics. A la carte sales are foods and beverages sold outside the federal reimbursable school meals program. Researchers found that in rural districts with low à More

Atlas of Rural and Small-Town America

By

This online Atlas provides a broad range of demographic, economic and agricultural data for rural and small towns across the United States. Users of the interactive mapping tool can create county-level maps and compare rural economic and social conditions among counties, states, or regions; or view a selected indicator for the entire United States or More

Understanding the Rural Food Environment–Perspectives of Low-Income Parents

By

This article focuses on the food environment and food shopping habits of lower-income residents in rural Maine. Focus groups were conducted with lower-income parents of children enrolled in Medicaid/State Children’s Health Insurance Program in Maine to ask them about their food shopping habits, the barriers they faced when trying to obtain food, places where they More