Helene Vilme1, Christopher J Paul2, Naomi N Duke3, Santiba D Campbell4, Derrick Sauls5, Charles Muiruri1,6, Asheley C Skinner1, Hayden Bosworth7,8,9,10, Yussif M Dokurugu11, John P Fay12. 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.
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.
Entities:
Keywords:
Food environment; GIS; HBCUs; historically black colleges and universities; supermarket
Authors: Daniel O Mensah; Godwin Yeboah; Michael Batame; Rob Lillywhite; Oyinlola Oyebode Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2022-10-13 Impact factor: 4.135