Accessibility to food retailers and socio‐economic deprivation in urban New Zealand

Abstract

The spatial locations of food retailers are considered to be an influential aspect of population consumption patterns. Such contextual relationships are often related to socioeconomic deprivation, with disparities in accessibility having important implications. This study used Geographic Information Systems and an Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area model of spatial accessibility to further understand such relationships within urban areas of New Zealand. Findings, while mixed, indicate that there is generally increased accessibility to all food retailers in highly deprived areas. Understanding these socio-spatial relationships in local environments has important implications for policy initiatives, health outcomes and sustainable development.food retailer, geographic information system, socio-economic deprivation, spatial accessibility

Deprivation matters: understanding associations between neighbourhood deprivation, unhealthy food outlets, unhealthy dietary behaviours and child body size using structural equation modelling

“…Contrary to previous research,19 our study found no association between the location and density of unhealthy food outlets and child body size which mirrors internationally inconsistent evidence 41. This finding could be due to the local context in Auckland, NZ where there appears to be increased accessibility to all food outlets in neighbourhoods of high deprivation 13. Future modelling could consider using all food outlets, rather than only those offering predominantly unhealthy food items, as opportunities exist to purchase unhealthy food and drink in outlets selling predominantly as ‘healthy’ food or drink.…”

“…Businesses selling unhealthy food and drinks target children,8 population groups on low incomes and those living and working in deprived neighbourhoods 9. In NZ and other high-income countries, unhealthy food outlets such as fast-food or takeaway restaurants and convenience stores that sell predominately energy dense, nutrient poor foods and beverages10 are more likely to be found in highly deprived neighbourhoods 11–13. Moreover, food purchasing behaviour is important to consider as systematic reviews show associations between eating out of home and higher overall energy intake14 and poorer overall diet quality 15.…”

The inequity of morbidity: Disparities in the prevalence of morbidity between ethnic groups in New Zealand

“…increased density of alcohol and fast food outlets). 21 The pathway to disparity illustrated above shows how unequal distribution of the social determinants of good health can disproportionately and systematically impact one or two groups within a population. As illustrated by Jones 22 and contextualised for New Zealand by Robson and Harris, 7 the three-step recipe to the creation of a health inequity is: (1) the passive or deliberate development over time of systematic differences between groups in terms of the determinants of health, or in exposures that lead to disease; (2) amidst such differences, the embedment of differential access to health care services between populations; and (3) amidst access differences, the embedment of differences in the quality of health care received between populations (manifested as poorer access to early symptom recognition and disease management).…”

Progress Towards Using Linked Population-Based Data For Geohealth Research: Comparisons Of Aotearoa New Zealand And The United Kingdom

“…Historically, projects have included indices of access to health promoting neighbourhood factors, access to undesirable neighbourhood destinations, and access to and utilisation of health services (Bowie et al, 2013 ). More recent outputs include identifying risk factors for women with obesity of childbearing age (Hobbs et al, 2019a ), and accessibility to food retailers and socio‐economic deprivation (Wiki et al, 2019 ). Other examples include relating the visibility of nature, in the form of green and blue space to psychological distress (Nutsford et al, 2016 ).…”