Money, Not Access, Key To Resident Food Choices In 'Food Deserts'

A new study from North Carolina State University and Campbell University finds that, while access to healthy foods is a significant challenge, the biggest variable limiting diet choices in so-called “food deserts” is limited financial resources.

Food deserts are areas that are far from supermarkets, which typically have a greater variety of nutritious foods at lower prices than those found in the corner stores more common in food deserts.

“There’s been a lot of attention to food deserts in urban areas, and how those deserts may affect public health – but little attention has been paid to how the people who actually live in those areas feel they’ve been affected,” says Sarah Bowen, an associate professor of sociology and co-author of a paper describing the work. “We wanted to get input from the residents themselves.”

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