Impact of Baltimore Healthy Eating Zones: an environmental intervention to improve diet among African American youth.

This study assessed the impact of a youth-targeted multilevel nutrition intervention in Baltimore City. The study used a clustered randomized design in which 7 recreation centers and 21 corner stores received interventions and 7 additional recreation centers served as comparison. The 8-month intervention aimed to increase availability and selection of healthful foods through nutrition promotion and education using point-of purchase materials such as posters and flyers in stores and interactive sessions such as taste test and cooking demonstrations.

High levels of household food insecurity on the Navajo Nation.

Objective: To assess levels of and identify factors associated with food insecurity on the Navajo Nation.

Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted utilizing the ten-item Radimer/Cornell food insecurity instrument. Sociodemographic, psychosocial and anthropometric data were collected.

Healthier home food preparation methods and youth and caregiver psychosocial factors are associated with lower BMI in African American youth.

Obesity disproportionately affects African American (AA) children and adolescents and leads to an increased risk of adult chronic diseases. Eating few meals at home has been implicated as a cause of obesity among youth, but to our knowledge, previous studies have not specifically investigated this relationship in AA adolescents or looked at both the healthfulness and frequency of home meals in AA households. The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between home food preparation and adolescent BMI in a sample of 240 AA adolescents aged 10-15 y and their caregivers.

Food expenditures and food purchasing among low-income, urban, African-American youth.

Background: Low-income, urban African-American youth are at higher risk for obesity and less likely to meet dietary recommendations than white, higher-income youth. Patterns of food purchasing among youth likely contribute to these disparities, but little published information is available.

Purpose: To investigate food purchasing behaviors of low-income, urban African-American youth.

Access to food source and food source use are associated with healthy and unhealthy food-purchasing behaviours among low-income African-American adults in Baltimore City.

Objective: Although previous research has shown limited availability of healthy food in low-income urban neighbourhoods, the association between food source use and food-purchasing patterns has not yet been examined. We explored food-purchasing patterns in the context of food source use and food source access factors in low-income areas of Baltimore City.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Healthy food purchasing among African American youth: associations with child gender, adult caregiver characteristics and the home food environment.

Objective: To examine how factors related to the home food environment and individual characteristics are associated with healthy food purchasing among low-income African American (AA) youth.

Subjects: A total of 206 AA youth (ninety-one boys and 115 girls), aged 10-14 years, and their primary adult caregivers.

Setting: Fourteen Baltimore recreation centres in low-income neighbourhoods.

Korean American storeowners' perceived barriers and motivators for implementing a corner store-based program.

Based on substantial formative research, the authors developed and implemented a year-long corner store-based program in East Baltimore focusing on Korean American (KA) stores. To understand acceptability of the intervention by storeowners, the authors examined the motivating factors for program participation, barriers to program implementation, perceived effectiveness of intervention materials, and perceptions about the program. Data collection methods included in-depth interviews with seven corner store owners, field notes by interventionists, and a follow-up survey.

An urban food store intervention positively affects food-related psychosocial variables and food behaviors.

Obesity and other diet-related chronic diseases are more prevalent in low-income urban areas, which commonly have limited access to healthy foods. The authors implemented an intervention trial in nine food stores, including two supermarkets and seven corner stores, in a low-income, predominantly African American area of Baltimore City, with a comparison group of eight stores in another low-income area of the city. The intervention (Baltimore Healthy Stores; BHS) included an environmental component to increase stocks of more nutritious foods and provided point-of-purchase promotions including signage for healthy choices and interactive nutrition education sessions.

A corner store intervention in a low-income urban community is associated with increased availability and sales of some healthy foods.

Objective: While corner store-based nutrition interventions have emerged as a potential strategy to increase healthy food availability in low-income communities, few evaluation studies exist. We present the results of a trial in Baltimore City to increase the availability and sales of healthier food options in local stores.

Design: Quasi-experimental study.

Process evaluation of Baltimore Healthy Stores: a pilot health intervention program with supermarkets and corner stores in Baltimore City.

Reduced access to affordable healthy foods is linked to higher rates of chronic diseases in low-income urban settings. The authors conduct a feasibility study of an environmental intervention (Baltimore Healthy Stores) in seven corner stores owned by Korean Americans and two supermarkets in low-income East Baltimore. The goal is to increase the availability of healthy food options and to promote them at the point of purchase.