Healthy versus Unhealthy Suppliers in Food Desert Neighborhoods: A Network Analysis of Corner Stores’ Food Supplier Networks

Yeeli Mui, Bruce Y. Lee, Atif Adam, Anna Y. Kharmats, Nadine Budd, Claudia Nau and Joel Gittelsohn
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Yeeli Mui: Global Obesity Prevention Center (GOPC) at Johns Hopkins University, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Bruce Y. Lee: Global Obesity Prevention Center (GOPC) at Johns Hopkins University, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Atif Adam: Global Obesity Prevention Center (GOPC) at Johns Hopkins University, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Anna Y. Kharmats: Global Obesity Prevention Center (GOPC) at Johns Hopkins University, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Nadine Budd: Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Claudia Nau: Global Obesity Prevention Center (GOPC) at Johns Hopkins University, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
Joel Gittelsohn: Global Obesity Prevention Center (GOPC) at Johns Hopkins University, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA

IJERPH, 2015, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-17

Abstract: Background : Products in corner stores may be affected by the network of suppliers from which storeowners procure food and beverages. To date, this supplier network has not been well characterized. Methods : Using network analysis, we examined the connections between corner stores ( n = 24) in food deserts of Baltimore City (MD, USA) and their food/beverage suppliers ( n = 42), to determine how different store and supplier characteristics correlated. Results : Food and beverage suppliers fell into two categories: Those providing primarily healthy foods/beverages ( n = 15) in the healthy supplier network (HSN) and those providing primarily unhealthy food/beverages ( n = 41) in the unhealthy supplier network (UHSN). Corner store connections to suppliers in the UHSN were nearly two times greater ( t = 5.23, p < 0.001), and key suppliers in the UHSN core were more diverse, compared to the HSN. The UHSN was significantly more cohesive and densely connected, with corner stores sharing a greater number of the same unhealthy suppliers, compared to HSN, which was less cohesive and sparsely connected ( t = 5.82; p < 0.001). Compared to African Americans, Asian and Hispanic corner storeowners had on average ?1.53 ( p < 0.001) fewer connections to suppliers in the HSN ( p < 0.001). Conclusions : Our findings indicate clear differences between corner stores’ HSN and UHSN. Addressing ethnic/cultural differences of storeowners may also be important to consider.

Keywords: food supply; obesity; healthy food availability; network analysis; corner store; food deserts; urban health; food environment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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