Should the Definition of Food Deserts Incorporate a Seasonal Component?
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Issue Date
2017-04
Authors
Darrouzet-Nardi, Amelia F.
Boehm, Rebecca L.
Stabley, Sophia E.
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Keywords
healthy eating , food desert , seasonal barriers
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Abstract
Households may experience geographic, transportation, and other spatial barriers to
healthy eating when there is a dearth of fresh foods nearby to where they live. Communities with a low
supply of healthy foods nearby are typically referred to as food deserts, and are formally defined as
areas with at least 33 percent of the population residing more than one mile away from a supermarket
or grocery store. This definition emphasizes the spatial aspects of the food access challenge without
addressing potential seasonal aspects, and there are many potential seasonal factors which influence
food access, especially for low-resource households. During winter, it may be especially difficult to
access healthy foods because days are shorter, it gets dark earlier, sidewalks may not be clear of snow
for walking, public transit service may be more intermittent, inclement weather might make it harder to
walk places, certain fruits and vegetables are highly seasonal, delivery trucks may be delayed more
frequently, and farmers markets aren’t operating as intensively. Understanding the seasonal barriers to
healthy eating is important for informing nutrition policies and programs, especially initiatives focused
on eliminating food deserts.
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Department
Global Health Studies
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Citation
Darrouzet-Nardi, A.F., Boehm, R.L., and Stabley, S.E. (2017). Should the Definition of Food Deserts Incorporate a Seasonal Component?. FASEB 31(1): 45.5. from http://www.fasebj.org/content/31/1_Supplement/45.5.abstract?sid=47101da4-8966-4dee-91e4-98701e62f16c
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Published article
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Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology