Using geographic information systems to characterize food environments around historically black colleges and universities: Implications for nutrition interventions

Citation: 
Helene Vilme , DrPH, MPH, MS, Christopher J. Paul , PhDORCID Icon, Naomi N. Duke , MD, PhD, MPHORCID Icon, Santiba D. Campbell , PhD, Derrick Sauls , PhD, Charles Muiruri , PhD, MPH, Asheley C. Skinner , PhD, Hayden Bosworth , PhD, Yussif M. Dokurugu , DrPH, MPH & John P. Fay , MS
Publication year: 
2020

Objective

To understand the distribution of healthy and unhealthy food stores near historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Participants and methods: Using ArcGIS Pro’s network analysis tools and ReferenceUSA database, this study characterized the healthy (favorable) and unhealthy (unfavorable) retail food stores within a 5-mile radius, 15-min driving, and 15-min walking distance from each HBCU in North Carolina.

Results: Most retail food stores within a 5-mile buffer radius of the 10 HBCUs in North Carolina were unfavorable. Within 15-min driving from each HBCU, 1082 stores (76.0%) were unfavorable food stores, while 332 (24.0%) were favorable. Additionally, there were four favorable and 35 unfavorable retail food stores within the 15-min walking distance of each HBCU.

Conclusions: Favorable food retail stores around HBCUs in North Carolina are limited. Researchers, policy makers, and community stakeholders should work together to improve food environments surrounding HBCUs.

External link: 
http://scholar.google.com/scholar_url?url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10...