Published: January 2009

ID #: 1017

Journal: Am J Prev Med

Authors: Larson N, Story M, Nelson MC

See more related research

Share


This comprehensive review examined 54 studies that evaluated neighborhood access to food outlets, the types of foods available in stores and restaurants, dietary information and weight status. The review found that individuals who have better access to supermarkets and limited access to fast-food restaurants tend to have healthier diets and lower rates of obesity. Individuals living in low-income, minority and rural neighborhoods are most often affected by poor access to supermarkets and healthful food while the availability of fast-food restaurants and high-fat, unhealthy foods tends to be greater in lower-income and minority neighborhoods.

Related Research

April 2026

Policy Priorities and Research Needs for Advancing Healthy Eating: A 2026-2027 Research Agenda for U.S. Children and Adolescents

Given recent changes to nutrition policies and programs and the food environment landscape, the need for new evidence on how these changes impact nutrition, health, and food access is greater than ever. HER has also published a research agenda intended to provide a blueprint for immediate (i.e., 12-18 month) research needs to inform strategies to More

November 2025

The implications of banning synthetic food dyes on the food purchase quality of families with children

This study examines how removing synthetic dyes from the food supply impacts the nutritional quality of grocery purchases among families with children, focusing on the 7 dyes targeted by FDA for phase-out by the end of 2026 (some of which are required (i.e., red dye #3), while the removal of others are voluntary). Aim 1 More

November 2025

Measuring the impact of charitable food program cuts on the nutritional quality of foods

This study examines how sudden cuts to USDA programs supporting the charitable food system (i.e., The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement (LFPA)) affect the supply of healthy food available for distribution by food banks. Existing data from 15 food banks will be analyzed, and additional data will More