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

Helene Vilme; Christopher J Paul; Naomi N Duke; Santiba D Campbell; Derrick Sauls; Charles Muiruri; Asheley C Skinner; Hayden Bosworth; Yussif M Dokurugu; John P Fay

doi:10.1080/07448481.2020.1767113

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

J Am Coll Health. 2022 Apr;70(3):818-823. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2020.1767113. Epub 2020 Jun 22.

Authors

Helene Vilme¹, Christopher J Paul², Naomi N Duke³, Santiba D Campbell⁴, Derrick Sauls⁵, Charles Muiruri^{1

6}, Asheley C Skinner¹, Hayden Bosworth^{7

8

9

10}, Yussif M Dokurugu¹¹, John P Fay¹²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
² Department of Public Administration, North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
³ Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Adolescent Medicine, Division of Primary Care, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
⁴ Department of Psychology, Bennett College, Greensboro, North Carolina, USA.
⁵ Department of Public Health and Exercise Science, Saint Augustine's University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA.
⁶ Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania.
⁷ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
⁸ VA Durham Healthcare System, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
⁹ Health Services Research and Development, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
¹⁰ Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT), Durham, North Carolina, USA.
¹¹ College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA.
¹² Nicholas School of the Environment, Division of Environmental Sciences & Policy, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.

Abstract

ObjectiveTo 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.

Keywords: Food environment; GIS; HBCUs; historically black colleges and universities; supermarket.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Black People
Black or African American*
Geographic Information Systems*
Humans
Students
Universities

Grants and funding

K12 HL138030/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States