The Public Health Effects of Food Deserts Workshop Summary (2009) / Chapter Skim
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6 Research Gaps and Needs
6 Research Gaps and Needs
Pages 67-74
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From page 67... ...
The final session of the workshop summarized how additional research is essential for clarifying the causal link between the food environment and health and for informing researchers when they develop the most promising interventions. The study of food deserts and determining their impact on public health is extremely complex and requires multidisciplinary research approaches.
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From page 68... ...
If food access is determined using a spatial scale, the definition of "neighborhood" would benefit from further clarity and refinement. Researchers reported on complementary instruments to measure food availability and affordability, including GIS, market basket surveys, other survey instruments, census data, and the Consumer Price Index.
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From page 69... ...
Researchers may need to look at more proximal behavior changes, such as shopping behavior, and then look at dietary behavior and ultimately disease outcomes and weight. Understanding the link between food availability and changes in obesity requires a better understanding of these intermediate steps, particularly the effect on dietary intake and shopping and eating behaviors.
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From page 70... ...
Individual foods, overall diet quality, dietary patterns, and meal size and frequency play different roles in health outcomes. Because it is important to select the right interventions on which to focus resources, it makes sense to understand better which ones make the most difference.
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From page 71... ...
For instance, access is endogenous to food deserts and health outcomes: those with access to supermarkets may have better diets because they choose to live near supermarkets, as healthy eating and nutrition are part of the decision-making for where residents locate. Alternatively, another endogenous factor might be the existence of a genetic susceptibility that enhances the taste of fat, increasing intake of fried fast foods and also affecting weight gain.
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From page 72... ...
This is an area of study where urban planners could help develop useful approaches to improving transportation infrastructure so that those lacking private transportation could gain access. The current planning paradigm favors mixed-use "smart growth," an urban planning concept that clusters growth in the center of a city to create more walkable, lively neighborhoods and urban areas.
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From page 73... ...
Many workshop participants expressed that a supply of healthy food needs to be available and affordable for consumers to purchase and prepare on a regular basis. However, focusing only on supply, especially when healthy items cost relatively more than less healthy options, may not have a significant impact on the health of individuals or broader communities; consumer demand -- in the forms of preferences and knowledge -- also affects consumption decisions and subsequently health outcomes.
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