Food-shopping environment disparities in Texas WIC vendors: a pilot study

Am J Health Behav. 2014 Sep;38(5):726-36. doi: 10.5993/AJHB.38.5.10.

Abstract

Objective: To identify differences in food-shopping environments of Texas WIC vendors using a culturally adapted instrument.

Methods: A survey tool was developed for measuring food availability, accessibility, and affordability in 111 WIC vendors in Texas. Two-tailed t-tests and Mann-Whitney tests were used for rural/urban and Texas-Mexico border/non-border area comparisons.

Results: Prices were higher in rural areas than in urban areas for 2 key foods, fruits (p = .024) and milk (p = .007); non-border vendors had overall better food availability than border vendors; non-border vendors had better accessibility for fruits (p = .007) than border vendors.

Conclusion: In Texas, disparities in food-shopping environments are evident and can be assessed using a culturally adapted survey tool.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Commerce / economics
  • Commerce / methods*
  • Costs and Cost Analysis
  • Female
  • Food Assistance*
  • Food Supply
  • Healthcare Disparities*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mexico
  • Pilot Projects
  • Residence Characteristics
  • Rural Population
  • Social Environment*
  • Statistics, Nonparametric
  • Texas
  • Urban Population