Refining the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey (NEMS) for Healthy Community Stores: Adaptations to Capture Alternative Food Retailers and Align with Dietary Guidelines

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Alex B Hill, Wayne State University; Ravneet Kaur, University of Illinois, Rockford; Samantha M Sundermeir, Johns Hopkins University; Christina Kasprzak, Univ Buffalo; Megan Winkler, Emory University; Sara John, Ctr Sci Publ Interest; Rachel D Dombrowski, California State University San Marcos; Bree Bode, Coll Educ; Joel Gittelsohn, Johns Hopkins University
• Language: English
• Date: 2022-10-01
• Publisher: MDPI
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2022 by the authors.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912875
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
• Volume: 19
• Issue: 19
• Grant/Funding Information: This work was supported by Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, n.a. Further support was provided to S.M. Sundermeir by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health T32 Predoctoral Clinical Training Grant, and to M. R. Winkler by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute under award R00HL144824 (PI: M. Winkler).
• Keywords: AVAILABILITY; Environmental Sciences & Ecology; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; ASSOCIATIONS; food access; index; healthy food retail; UNITED-STATES; INTERVENTION; AFRICAN-AMERICAN; Science & Technology; Environmental Sciences; quantitative; CONSUMPTION; VEGETABLES; FRUITS; assessment; ACCESS; INCOME

Abstract

Inadequate consumption of healthy food is an ongoing public health issue in the United States. Food availability measures of supply versus consumption of healthy foods are disconnected in many studies. There is a need for an objective assessment of the food environment in order to assess how the food supply aligns with the Healthy Eating Index (HEI). Data were collected as part of the Healthy Community Stores Case Study Project, including a refined Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for Healthy Community Stores (NEMS-HCS) and an updated Healthy Food Availability Index that aligns with the Healthy Eating Index (HFAHEI). This paper will focus on the NEMS-HCS development process, findings, and HFAHEI application. All food items were more likely to be found at grocery stores rather than corner stores. Food pricing was often above the Consumer Price Index averages for six food items. The NEMS-HCS assessment better aligned with the HEI because it included a wider variety of meats, frozen fruits and vegetables, and an increased selection of whole grains. HFAHEI scoring was inclusive of non-traditional and alternative community stores with a health focus, making it suitable for use at the local level, especially in neighborhoods where supermarkets and large chain stores are less common.