Start Date: October 2010

ID #: 68236

Principal Investigator: Brian Elbel, PhD, MPH

Co-Principal Investigator: Tod Mijanovich, PhD

Organization: New York University School of Medicine

Funding Round: Rapid-Response Round 3

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The use of tax credits and other incentives is an increasingly looked-to approach to change food environments. Policies are being considered across the U.S. This project will evaluate the impact of New York City’s use of tax and zoning incentives to encourage the building of supermarkets in the highest need areas of the city. This natural experiment will be evaluated using a difference-in-difference study design. Parent intercept surveys (n=800) will be conducted before the new supermarket is introduced in: (a) the community in the Bronx where the new supermarket is to be built, and (b) a comparison community. After the supermarket is built, these parents will also complete a follow-up telephone survey. Overall, the study will assess changes in children’s fruit, vegetable and snack consumption, and parents’ shopping patterns. The long-term goal of this project is to help inform other cities and states as they implement their own programs to introduce supermarkets in high need areas.

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