HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (45) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Lewis, L. B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Lewis, L. B. Related Collections Nutrition/Food African Americans/Blacks Other Environment

LaVonna Blair Lewis, PhD, David C. Sloane, PhD, Lori Miller Nascimento, MPH, Allison L. Diamant, MD, MPH, Joyce Jones Guinyard, DC, Antronette K. Yancey, MD, MPH, Gwendolyn Flynn for the REACH Coalition of the African Americans Building A Legacy Of Health Project

LaVonna Blair Lewis and David C. Sloane are at the University of Southern California School of Policy, Planning and Development, Los Angeles. Lori Miller Nascimento is with the Division of Community Health, Department of Family Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles. Allison L. Diamant is with the Department of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), School of Medicine. Joyce Jones Guinyard and Gwendolyn Flynn are with Community Health Councils, Inc, Los Angeles. Antronette K. Yancey is with the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research, UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Department of Health Services, UCLA School of Public Health.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to LaVonna Blair Lewis, PhD, School of Policy, Planning and Development, University of Southern California, 650 Childs Way, Ralph and Goldy Lewis Hall Room 309, Los Angeles, CA 90089–0626 (e-mail: llewis{at}usc.edu).

Objectives. We examined availability and food options at restaurants in less affluent (target area) and more affluent (comparison area) areas of Los Angeles County to compare residents’ access to healthy meals prepared and purchased away from home. We also considered environmental prompts that encourage the purchase of various foods.

Methods. We designed an instrument to assess the availability, quality, and preparation of food in restaurants. We also assessed advertisements and promotions, cleanliness, and service for each restaurant. We assessed 659 restaurants: 348 in the target area and 311 in the comparison area.

Results. The nutritional resource environment in our target area makes it challenging for residents to eat healthy away from home. Poorer neighborhoods with a higher proportion of African American residents have fewer healthy options available, both in food selections and in food preparation; restaurants in these neighborhoods heavily promote unhealthy food options to residents.

Conclusions. Environment is important in understanding health status: support for the healthy lifestyle associated with lower risks for disease is difficult in poorer communities with a higher proportion of African American residents.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. V. Moore, A. V. Diez Roux, J. A. Nettleton, D. R. Jacobs, and M. Franco Fast-Food Consumption, Diet Quality, and Neighborhood Exposure to Fast Food: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis Am. J. Epidemiol., July 1, 2009; 170(1): 29 - 36. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. J. Ornelas, J. Amell, A. N. Tran, M. Royster, J. Armstrong-Brown, and E. Eng Understanding African American Men's Perceptions of Racism, Male Gender Socialization, and Social Capital Through Photovoice Qual Health Res, April 1, 2009; 19(4): 552 - 565. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. K. Chow, K. Lock, K. Teo, S. Subramanian, M. McKee, and S. Yusuf Environmental and societal influences acting on cardiovascular risk factors and disease at a population level: a review Int. J. Epidemiol., March 4, 2009; (2009) dyn258v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A.E. Sanders, G. Turrell, and G.D. Slade Affluent Neighborhoods Reduce Excess Risk of Tooth Loss among the Poor Journal of Dental Research, October 1, 2008; 87(10): 969 - 973. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. A. Grier and S. K. Kumanyika The Context for Choice: Health Implications of Targeted Food and Beverage Marketing to African Americans Am J Public Health, September 1, 2008; 98(9): 1616 - 1629. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Raja, Changxing Ma, and P. Yadav Beyond Food Deserts: Measuring and Mapping Racial Disparities in Neighborhood Food Environments Journal of Planning Education and Research, June 1, 2008; 27(4): 469 - 482. [Abstract] [PDF]

				M. Schootman, E. M. Andresen, F. D. Wolinsky, T. K. Malmstrom, J. P. Miller, Y. Yan, and D. K. Miller The Effect of Adverse Housing and Neighborhood Conditions on the Development of Diabetes Mellitus among Middle-aged African Americans Am. J. Epidemiol., August 15, 2007; 166(4): 379 - 387. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. Papas, A. J. Alberg, R. Ewing, K. J. Helzlsouer, T. L. Gary, and A. C. Klassen The Built Environment and Obesity Epidemiol. Rev., May 28, 2007; (2007) mxm009v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. H. Auchincloss, A. V. Diez Roux, D. G. Brown, E. S. O'Meara, and T. E. Raghunathan Association of Insulin Resistance with Distance to Wealthy Areas: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis Am. J. Epidemiol., February 15, 2007; 165(4): 389 - 397. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Cummins and S. Macintyre Food environments and obesity--neighbourhood or nation? Int. J. Epidemiol., February 1, 2006; 35(1): 100 - 104. [Full Text] [PDF]