Introduction Local governments can address access to healthy food and transportation through policy and planning. This study is the first to examine municipal-level transportation supports for food access. Methods We used a nationally representative sample of US municipalities with 1,000 or more persons from the 2014 National Survey of Community-Based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living (N = 2,029) to assess 3 outcomes: public transit availability, consideration of food access in transportation planning, and presence of demand-responsive transportation (DRT). We used χ 2 tests to compare prevalences by municipal characteristics including population size, rurality, census region, median educational attainment, poverty prevalence, racial and ethnic population distribution, and low-income low-access to food (LILA) status. Results Among municipalities, 33.7% reported no public transit and 14.8% reported having DRT. Both public transit and DRT differed by population size (both P < .001) and census region (both P < .001) and were least commonly reported among municipalities with populations less than 2,500 (46.9% without public transit; 6.6% with DRT) and in the South (40.0% without public transit; 11.1% with DRT). Of those with public transit, 33.8% considered food access in transportation planning; this was more common with greater population size (55.9% among municipalities of ≥50,000 persons vs 16.8% among municipalities of <2,500 persons; P < .001), in the West (43.1% vs 26.8% in the Northeast, 33.7% in the Midwest, 32.2% in the South; P = .003), and municipalities with 20% or more of the population living below federal poverty guidelines (37.4% vs 32.2% among municipalities with less than 20% living in poverty; P = .07). Conclusion Results suggest that opportunities exist to improve food access through transportation, especially in smaller and Southern communities, which may improve diet quality and reduce chronic disease.

Objectives During the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. retailers have reported few major, sustained disruptions in food availability (FA); the risk of contracting COVID-19 from eating or handling food is low. Some consumer food behaviors related to FA and food safety (FS), such as panic buying, stockpiling, bleaching food have occurred. During emergencies, assessing consumer nutrition beliefs and developing intervention can prevent unintended negative behaviors. We examined self-reported worry about FA and FS during the pandemic. Methods Survey data was collected online in June 2020 from a representative panel of US adults (n = 4,053). Outcome variables (worry about FA and FS) were assessed using collapsed response options (‘Worried at any level’ and ‘Not at all worried) to the question, “How worried are you and your household about each of the following as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic?” Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aORs) for the associations between sociodemographic variables and worry about FA and FS. Results Over half of respondents reported worry about FA (58.3%) or FS (57.5%). The highest reported worry about FA were among those not employed (74%), those with household income ≤$34,999 (70%), Black adults (68%), adults aged 35–49 years (64%), those with a high school education or less (62%), and those in the South (61%). The highest reported worry about FS was among those not employed (78%), Black adults (73%), household income ≤$34,999 (74%), aged 35–49 years (61%), and those in the Northeast (61%). Compared with their respective referent groups, significantly higher worry for FA and FS respectively were found among lower income households (aOR [CI] = 1.76 [1.30–2.39]; 1.84 [1.35–2.51]), those who were unemployed (1.54 [1.05–2.28]; 1.90 [1.26–2.81]), non-Hispanic Black (1.55 [1.14–2.12]; 2.25 [1.65–3.07]), and Hispanic (1.39 [1.06–1.82]; 1.94 [1.46–2.56]). Conclusions Findings highlight the importance of strategies and communications that reduce fears and prevent unintended negative behaviors, and stress increasing consumer awareness of food access options during emergencies, including promotion of hunger safety net programs, especially among disproportionately affected groups. Funding Sources Solely for author's time from their institutions.

Gatherings where people are eating and drinking can increase the risk of getting and spreading SARS-CoV-2 among people who are not fully vaccinated; prevention strategies like wearing masks and physical distancing continue to be important for some groups. We conducted an online survey to characterize fall/winter 2020-2021 holiday gatherings, decisions to attend, and prevention strategies employed during and before gatherings. We determined associations between practicing prevention strategies, demographics, and COVID-19 experience. Among 502 respondents, one-third attended in person holiday gatherings; 73% wore masks, and 84% practiced physical distancing, but less did so always (29% and 23%, respectively). Younger adults were 44% more likely to attend gatherings than adults ≥35 years.Younger adults (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 1.53, 95% CI 1.19-1.97), persons who did not experience COVID-19 themselves or have relatives/close friends experience severe COVID-19 (aPR 1.56, 95% CI 1.18-2.07), and non-Hispanic White persons (aPR 1.57, 95% CI 1.13-2.18) were more likely to not always wear masks in public during the two weeks before gatherings. Public health messaging emphasizing consistent application of COVID-19 prevention strategies is important to slow the spread of COVID-19.