Geographic patterns and socioeconomic differences in the nutritional quality of household packaged food purchases in the United States

Allison Lacko; Paul Delamater; Penny Gordon-Larsen; Shu Wen Ng

doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2021.102567

Geographic patterns and socioeconomic differences in the nutritional quality of household packaged food purchases in the United States

Health Place. 2021 May:69:102567. doi: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2021.102567. Epub 2021 Apr 27.

Authors

Allison Lacko¹, Paul Delamater², Penny Gordon-Larsen³, Shu Wen Ng⁴

Affiliations

¹ Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carolina Square, 123 W Franklin Street, Building C, Suite 310, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, United States; Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States. Electronic address: alacko@frac.org.
² Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carolina Square, 123 W Franklin Street, Building C, Suite 310, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, United States; Department of Geography, College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States. Electronic address: pld@email.unc.edu.
³ Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carolina Square, 123 W Franklin Street, Building C, Suite 310, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, United States; Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States. Electronic address: pglarsen@email.unc.edu.
⁴ Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carolina Square, 123 W Franklin Street, Building C, Suite 310, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516, United States; Department of Nutrition, Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States. Electronic address: shuwen@unc.edu.

Abstract

Background: It is unclear whether dietary quality varies by geography in the US.

Purpose: Assess patterns in packaged food purchases (PFPs).

Methods: We characterized variation in PFP quality from 2008 to 2018 by 1) examining geographic clustering and 2) using regression analysis to control for household characteristics.

Results: Lower quality purchases clustered in the Southeast and Appalachia, whereas higher quality purchases clustered in the West and Northeast. Spatial patterns were similar for low socioeconomic households but not high socioeconomic households. Geographic differences in quality remained after controlling for demographic composition.

Conclusion: This analysis should inform research into systemic drivers of PFP quality.

Keywords: Diet; Nutrition; Packaged food purchases; Socioeconomic disparities; Spatial clustering.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Beverages*
Consumer Behavior
Family Characteristics
Food*
Humans
Nutritive Value
United States

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding