Assessing the Availability and Access to Healhty Foods in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Abstract

A study of healthy food availability was conducted in the Kendall-Whittier and Eugene Field neighborhoods in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Nutrition Environment Measures Survey in Stores (NEMS-S) was used to compare the healthy food availability within these neighborhoods with immediately surrounding areas. The Kendall-Whittier and Eugene Field neighborhoods were selected due to their low socioeconomic status as evidenced by high number of students on free and reduced lunch; in addition, these neighborhoods have high minority populations. A total of 107 stores were surveyed consisting of grocery stores, convenience stores and a group called "other" that was made up of dollar-type stores and pharmacies. For each store, a Healthy Food Availability Index (HFAI) score was calculated to represent the overall availability of healthy food options. The survey consists of 13 food categories and compares a healthy and a regular option for each category. The results showed that the mean HFAI for grocery stores was significantly higher than convenience or other stores and the mean HFAI score for other stores was significantly higher than the mean score for convenience stores. There was not a significant difference between the types of stores that were available inside Kendall-Whittier and Eugene Field neighborhoods versus the surrounding area surveyed. There was however a significant difference between the mean HFAI score for grocery stores versus convenience stores and other stores. This indicates that there is limited access to healthy food. The healthy options that were missing most often were fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, low fat milk and lean meats. Recommendations for further studies in Tulsa and the use of NEMS in the future were made.