Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2010 Mar;7(2):A43.
Epub 2010 Feb 15.

Availability, affordability, and accessibility of a healthful diet in a low-income community, Central Falls, Rhode Island, 2007-2008

Marissa Sheldon  1 , Kim M Gans, Ryan Tai, Tiffiney George, Eliza Lawson, Deborah N Pearlman
Affiliations

Availability, affordability, and accessibility of a healthful diet in a low-income community, Central Falls, Rhode Island, 2007-2008

Marissa Sheldon et al. Prev Chronic Dis. 2010 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Many Americans have diets that do not meet the dietary guidelines set by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Additionally, low-income people have the highest rates of obesity and have difficulty accessing the necessary foods for maintaining a healthful diet.

Context: In December 2007 and January 2008, 21 retail food stores in Central Falls, Rhode Island, where residents were predominantly low-income Hispanics, were evaluated for the availability and costs of foods that fulfill the USDA's Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) guidelines.

Methods: Each surveyed store was evaluated for variety and weekly cost of 3 different types of market baskets (2 families and an elder). Each store's proximity to public transportation was estimated by using geographic information systems mapping.

Outcome: Only 2 stores in Central Falls and the discount supermarket in an adjacent city, Pawtucket, carried enough variety of foods to fill the TFP basket. At the 2 stores, costs were up to 40% higher, and at the discount store, costs were up to 18% cheaper, than the national average. Each of the stores was accessible by public transportation.

Interpretation: Meeting the USDA TFP guidelines is difficult in this low-income, predominantly Hispanic city. Although the components of the TFP are available, high prices may make a nutritious diet unaffordable.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

bar chart
Figure.
Comparison of Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) market basket costs by store type and family composition, Rhode Island, 2007-2008. Stores A and B are grocery stores in Central Falls. Store C is a discount supermarket in neighboring Pawtucket.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Basiotis PP, Carlson A, Gerrior SA, Juan WY, Lino M. The Healthy Eating Index, 1999-2000: charting dietary patterns of Americans. Family Economics and Nutrition Review 2004;16(1):39–46.
    1. Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2005. US Department of Health and Human Services and US Department of Agriculture; [Accessed May 31, 2008]. http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/pdf/DGA2005.pdf .
    1. Overweight and obesity. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; May, 2007. [Accessed May 31, 2008]. http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/index.htm .
    1. The Surgeon General's call to action to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity. US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service; [Accessed May 31, 2008]. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/CalltoAction.pdf .
    1. Drewnowski A, Specter SE. Poverty and obesity: the role of energy density and energy costs. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;79(1):6–16. - PubMed

Publication types