Robin S DeWeese1, Punam Ohri-Vachaspati2. 1. School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ. Electronic address: Robin.Deweese@asu.edu. 2. School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study compared the prices of unhealthy (chips) and healthy (ready-to-eat fruit) snacks that students are likely to purchase from corner stores. METHODS: Snacks were purchased from 325 New Jersey corner stores; chip prices were compared with fruit prices overall and by store sales volume and block group characteristics. RESULTS: Prices did not differ significantly between chips and fruit in the overall sample in which both items were available (n = 104) (chips: $0.46 ± $0.15; fruit: $0.49 ± $0.19; P = .48) or by store or block group characteristics. Neither mean fruit prices nor mean chip prices differed by store sales volume or by neighborhood characteristics. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Promoting ready-to-eat fruits in corner stores to children as a price-neutral alternative to calorically dense snacks can be a viable strategy to improve the nutritional quality of snacks commonly purchased at corner stores.
OBJECTIVE: This study compared the prices of unhealthy (chips) and healthy (ready-to-eat fruit) snacks that students are likely to purchase from corner stores. METHODS: Snacks were purchased from 325 New Jersey corner stores; chip prices were compared with fruit prices overall and by store sales volume and block group characteristics. RESULTS: Prices did not differ significantly between chips and fruit in the overall sample in which both items were available (n = 104) (chips: $0.46 ± $0.15; fruit: $0.49 ± $0.19; P = .48) or by store or block group characteristics. Neither mean fruit prices nor mean chip prices differed by store sales volume or by neighborhood characteristics. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Promoting ready-to-eat fruits in corner stores to children as a price-neutral alternative to calorically dense snacks can be a viable strategy to improve the nutritional quality of snacks commonly purchased at corner stores.
Authors: Robin S DeWeese; Michael Todd; Allison Karpyn; Michael J Yedidia; Michelle Kennedy; Meg Bruening; Christopher M Wharton; Punam Ohri-Vachaspati Journal: Am J Health Promot Date: 2016-12-06