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Commission to Build a Healthier America Public Meeting
Join the Commission on June 19, 2013 for a public meeting to raise awareness of how non-medical factors influence health and move public- an...
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Physical, Consumer, and Social Aspects of Measuring the Food Environment Among Diverse Low-Income Populations
This article examines the food environment in low-income settings ranging from urban to very remote. It identifies challenges of measuring food environments across these settings and lays out solutions to assess food environments in a robust and practical manner. The authors recommend that future research should include:
- defining the geographical boundaries of food environments;
- determining the availability, pricing, range and quality of the food supply;
- assessing the role of government-funded food assistance programs; and
- investigating the impact of culture and language on food choices.
The wide range of low-income community settings will require researchers to hone their research measures to respond to the specific traits of the community being studied.