A relational approach to evaluate food environments finds that the proximate food environment matters for those who use it.

Using a relational approach, this study investigates whether shopping close to home moderates the relationship between the proximate food environment and diet. To address this question, we develop the proximate food retail quality (PFRQ) score, an inverse-distance weighted measure of all food retailers within a resident's neighborhood that incorporates audit data of each food retailer. This study relies on data collected through 24-h dietary recalls and psychosocial surveys administered to 449 adults in two socioeconomically matched neighborhoods.