(PO04-68-22) Assessment of Healthy Food Availability and Promotion Among Baltimore, Maryland Corner Stores

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Presenting Author(s)

Dwi Sari Puspaningtyas, Bachelor
– Graduate Student, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Co-Author(s)

Emma C. Lewis, MS
– Doctoral Candidate, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
NM

Nina M. Martin, PhD
– Assistant Scientist, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
RG

Raneitra Grover, MPH
– Morgan State University
LP

Lisa K. Poirier, MHS
– Research Associate, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Jennifer Stephenson, BS
– Graduate Student, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
IG

Isabella Guo, Bsc.
– Graduate Student, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Kelley Koeppen, MSPH
– Graduate Student, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
JG

Joel Gittelsohn, PhD, MS
– Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Disclosure(s):

Dwi Sari Puspaningtyas, Bachelor: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Emma C. Lewis, MS: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Jennifer Stephenson, BS: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Isabella Guo, Bsc.: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Kelley Koeppen, MSPH: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Objectives: Under-resourced neighborhoods in Baltimore, Maryland tend to have low healthy food availability. Residents of these neighborhoods often frequent corner stores, which are ubiquitous and primarily stock energy-dense foods and sugar-sweetened beverages. The Baltimore Urban food Distribution (BUD) trial aims to improve access to healthy foods by corner store owners and their customers. As part of the baseline assessment of BUD, this study aims to (1) measure the pre-intervention availability of promoted foods and beverages (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-sugar beverages) at participating corner stores; and (2) describe current promotional strategies used by participating corner store owners for healthy foods and beverages.

Methods: We expect to have baseline data from 38 corner stores recruited to participate in BUD by April 2022. During data collection, trained researchers will conduct in-depth interviews and a Store Environmental Checklist based on similar tools used in the previous B’more Healthy Communities for Kids (BHCK) trial. Subsequently, corner store Healthy Food Availability Index (HFAI) scores will be analyzed quantitatively using Stata, and qualitative data regarding promotional strategies will be analyzed using Atlas.ti.

Results: At the time BHCK was implemented, Baltimore corner stores had a low average HFAI score of 9.1 out of 28.5. Now, nearly a decade later, it is crucial to understand the current landscape of healthy food availability in order to inform the context in which BUD is intervening. Regarding promotional practices, we expect to see corner stores having a larger social media presence. A recent uptake of social media use among corner store owners could signify greater acceptance of technology, and a new medium for customer engagement and promotion of foods. Further quantitative and qualitative analyses will be completed by late Spring 2022.

Conclusions: The gap in healthy food availability among corner stores compared to supermarkets is well-documented, especially in under-resourced urban settings. Recent advances in the use of social media and greater acceptance of technology by small store owners is promising. Our findings here will help to inform the strategies undertaken by the BUD intervention in an upcoming randomized controlled trial.

Funding Sources: NHLBI, NIH, award number R34HL145368