Understanding the Neighborhood Food Environment
Author Information
Author(s): Wang May C, Gonzalez Alma A, Ritchie Lorrene D, Winkleby Marilyn A
Primary Institution: University of California at Berkeley
Hypothesis
What are the strengths and limitations of historical data on retail food stores in relation to dietary behavior?
Conclusion
The study highlights the need for caution when using historical data on retail food stores due to potential underestimation and overestimation of store counts.
Supporting Evidence
- The study identified five databases relevant to historical retail food store data.
- Spearman's correlation coefficient was approximately 0.5, indicating moderate agreement between data sources.
- The SBOE database listed 127 stores, while the telephone directory listed 351, showing discrepancies in store counts.
Takeaway
This study looks at how to find and use old data about food stores in neighborhoods to understand how they affect what people eat.
Methodology
The study compared data from the California State Board of Equalization and telephone business directories to assess the congruency of food store counts.
Potential Biases
Potential for underestimation of store counts from government sources and overestimation from commercial directories.
Limitations
The findings are specific to the years 1979–1990 and do not include all types of stores or current data.
Participant Demographics
Data was collected from over 8000 men and women aged 18–74 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.0001
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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