Mobilizing Young People in Community Efforts to Improve the Food Environment: Corner Store Conversions in East Los Angeles

Health Promotion Practice

Prelip

et al. 2016

Self Cite

Reducing health disparities is a national public health priority. Latinos represent the largest racial/ethnic minority group in the United States and suffer disproportionately from poor health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease risk. Academic training programs are an opportunity for reducing health disparities, in part by increasing the diversity of the public health workforce and by incorporating training designed to develop a skill set to address health disparities. This article describes the Training and Career Development Program at the UCLA Center for Population Health and Health Disparities: a multilevel, transdisciplinary training program that uses a community-engaged approach to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in two urban Mexican American communities. Results suggest that this program is effective in enhancing the skill sets of traditionally underrepresented students to become health disparities researchers and practitioners.

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Training the Next Generation of Latino Health Researchers: A Multilevel, Transdisciplinary, Community-Engaged Approach

Kuo

Health Promotion Practice

Prelip

et al. 2016

Self Cite

“…The second component of the intervention was community-wide social marketing and interactive educational campaigns led by local youth ( 35 ) , which were implemented to create awareness that healthy foods were being made available in these stores, to increase store patronage among neighbourhood residents, to increase purchasing of newly available items at the corner stores and to increase consumption of F&V. These campaigns targeted residents who lived near and around converted corner stores. Social marketing and educational efforts began immediately prior to the grand reopening of each store and continued for the remainder of the intervention period.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A corner store intervention to improve access to fruits and vegetables in two Latino communities

Albert

Langellier

et al. 2017

Public Health Nutr.

Objective Investments have been made to alter the food environment of neighbourhoods that have a disproportionate number of unhealthy food venues. Corner store conversions are one strategy to increase access to fruits and vegetables (F&V). Although the literature shows modest success, the effectiveness of these interventions remains equivocal. The present paper reports on the evaluation of Proyecto MercadoFRESCO, a corner store conversion intervention in two Latino communities. Design A repeated cross-sectional design was employed. Data were stratified by intervention arm and bivariate tests assessed changes over time. Logistic and multiple regression models with intervention arm, time and the interaction of intervention and time were conducted. Supplementary analyses account for clustering of patrons within stores and staggering of store conversions. Setting Three stores were converted and five stores served as comparisons in East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights, California, USA. Subjects Store patrons were interviewed before (n 550) and after (n 407) the intervention. Results Relative to patrons of comparison stores, patrons of intervention stores demonstrated more favourable perceptions of corner stores and increased purchasing of F&V during that store visit. Changes were not detected in store patronage, percentage of weekly dollars spent on food for F&V or daily consumption of F&V. Conclusions Consistent with some extant food environment literature, findings demonstrate limited effects. Investments should be made in multilevel, comprehensive interventions that target a variety retail food outlets rather than focusing on corner stores exclusively. Complementary policies limiting the availability, affordability and marketing of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods should also be pursued.

“…Additionally, advertisements for sugar-sweetened beverages and alcohol were replaced with messages promoting healthy eating. Part of the intervention was a nutrition-related social marketing and educational campaign led by local high school students 20 aimed at increasing community awareness of availability and demand for fresh fruits and vegetables.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community Residents’ Beliefs About Neighborhood Corner Stores in 2 Latino Communities: Implications for Interventions to Improve the Food Environment

Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition

Albert

Chan‐Golston

et al. 2017

Self Cite

We assessed community residents’ perceptions of corner stores to better understand what facilitates and deters patronage at these food outlets. Data came from 978 household interviews in 2 Latino communities undergoing corner store interventions. Chi-square tests, an independent sample t test, and a multivariate logistic regression were conducted to assess the relationship between residents’ perceptions about corner stores and their reported patronage at these food outlets. Residents reported that corner stores do not sell a variety of fruits and vegetables and are not places where one can get information about healthy eating. Convenience, cleanliness, positive customer service, availability of culturally appropriate items, and availability of quality fresh fruit increased the odds of store patronage. Simply providing healthy foods will not incentivize patrons to purchase them. Corner store interventions can be more effective if they address the characteristics that community residents prioritize.