Food Access

Food environment index (index of factors that contribute to a healthy food environment, from 0 (worst) to 10 (best)

Current Value

8.1

2019

Definition

The Food Environment Index ranges from a scale of 0 (worst) to 10 (best) and equally weights two indicators of the food environment:

1) Limited access to healthy foods estimates the percentage of the population that is low income and does not live close to a grocery store. Low income is defined as having an annual family income of less than or equal to 200 percent of the federal poverty threshold for the family size. Living close to a grocery store is defined differently in rural and nonrural areas; in rural areas, it means living less than 10 miles from a grocery store whereas in nonrural areas, it means less than 1 mile.

2) Food insecurity estimates the percentage of the population that did not have access to a reliable source of food during the past year. A two-stage fixed effects model was created using information from the Community Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and American Community Survey to estimate food insecurity.

From the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA):

The Atlas assembles statistics on three broad categories of food environment factors:

Food Choices--Indicators of the community's access to and acquisition of healthy, affordable food, such as: access and proximity to a grocery store; number of foodstores and restaurants; expenditures on fast foods; food and nutrition assistance program participation; food prices; food taxes; and availability of local foods.
Health and Well-Being--Indicators of the community's success in maintaining healthy diet
Community Characteristics--Indicators of community characteristics that might influence the food environment, such as: demographic composition; income and poverty; population loss; metro-nonmetro status; natural amenities; and recreation and fitness centers.

Using the annual USDA Food Security Survey, Feeding America (Map the Meal Gap) models the relationship between food insecurity and other variables at the state level and, using information for these variables at the county level, we establish food insecurity by county.

The Food Environment Index ranges from a scale of 0 (worst) to 10 (best) and equally weights two indicators of the food environment:

1)&nbsp;Limited access to healthy foods&nbsp;estimates the&nbsp;percentage of the population that is low income and does not live close to a grocery store. Low income is defined as having an annual family income of less than or equal to 200 percent of the federal poverty threshold for the family size. Living close to a grocery store is defined differently in rural and nonrural areas; in rural areas, it means living less than 10 miles from a grocery store whereas in nonrural areas, it means less than 1 mile.

2)&nbsp;Food insecurity&nbsp;estimates the percentage of the population that did not have access to a reliable source of food during the past year. A two-stage fixed effects model was created using information from the Community Population Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and American Community Survey to estimate food insecurity.

&nbsp;

From the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA):

The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-environment-atlas.aspx">Atlas</a>&nbsp;assembles statistics on three broad categories of food environment factors:

<ul>
	<li>
	Food Choices--Indicators of the community's access to and acquisition of healthy, affordable food, such as: access and proximity to a grocery store; number of foodstores and restaurants; expenditures on fast foods; food and nutrition assistance program participation; food prices; food taxes; and availability of local foods.
	</li>
	<li>
	Health and Well-Being--Indicators of the community's success in maintaining healthy diet
	</li>
	<li>
	Community Characteristics--Indicators of community characteristics that might influence the food environment, such as: demographic composition; income and poverty; population loss; metro-nonmetro status; natural amenities; and recreation and fitness centers.
	</li>
</ul>

Using the annual USDA Food Security Survey, Feeding America (<a href="http://map.feedingamerica.org/">Map the Meal Gap</a>) models the&nbsp;relationship between food insecurity and other variables at the&nbsp;state level and, using information for these variables at the county&nbsp;level, we establish food insecurity by county.

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Story Behind the Curve

The Food Environment Index ranges from a scale of 0 (worst) to 10 (best) and equally weights two indicators of the food environment:

From the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA):

The Atlas assembles statistics on three broad categories of food environment factors:

Food Choices--Indicators of the community's access to and acquisition of healthy, affordable food, such as: access and proximity to a grocery store; number of foodstores and restaurants; expenditures on fast foods; food and nutrition assistance program participation; food prices; food taxes; and availability of local foods.
Health and Well-Being--Indicators of the community's success in maintaining healthy diet
Community Characteristics--Indicators of community characteristics that might influence the food environment, such as: demographic composition; income and poverty; population loss; metro-nonmetro status; natural amenities; and recreation and fitness centers.

Partners

What Works

Strategy

Clear Impact Suite is an easy-to-use, web-based software platform that helps your staff collaborate with external stakeholders and community partners by utilizing the combination of data collection, performance reporting, and program planning.