Accessible Rations: Food, Environment, and Race
Received November 1, 2019
Accepted for publication January 21, 2020
Published February 1, 2020
Abstract
This study assesses the spatial physical surroundings of the food environment of Forsyth County, which includes the city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This descriptive analysis expands upon the understanding of relationships between food environment, neighborhood racial composition, poverty level, and associated disparities. We used United States Census block group data to measure how the average distance to a grocery store varies by race and poverty level. The study builds on existing literature to propose a framework useful for understanding food environments and determinants of food insecurity among African Americans in smaller urban areas and regions such as Central North Carolina. Explicitly, the findings suggest that high poverty and predominantly black neighborhoods are food environments that are saturated by easily accessible unhealthy foods.
Keywords: Food environment, racial segregation, disparities