Healthy Neighborhood Stores: Key Recommendation for Working with Owners of Small Stores in Communities of High Need
In
underserved populations, improving the accessibility of healthy foods is
recommended. According to the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics, small community food stores can help promote healthy eating
behaviors in their customers by providing healthy food options. In Nebraska the Healthy Neighborhood Store
(HNS) project was implemented to increase the “availability and affordability”
of fresh fruits and vegetable, low-fat milk, lean meats, whole grains and other
healthy food options. The project was
funded by the CDC and Prevention Communities Putting Prevention to Work grant
and led by the county’s health department.
The project interventions
within a store included changing the placement of healthy foods to increase the
sales of these items, increasing the amount of healthy foods being offered, reducing the amount of alcohol and tobacco advertising, installing
the necessary coolers and shelving for the new healthy food options, and making
the store environment more pleasant by installing new lighting. Technical assistance was provided by the HNS
and included nutrition education such as offering cooking demonstrations and
taste testings.
The project
appeared to be successful. One HNS store
owner said, “Before, [customers] just came to buy beer or cigarettes, but now
they really come to buy milk and food items, or frozen food.” HNS store owners participating in the WIC
program indicated that their involvement in the project helped them stock the
required healthy foods needed for the program.
The project only lasted 3-12 months. Additional funding to extend the
program to help store owners promote and provide healthy food options is
needed.
The project is
a clear indication that if store owners in underserved communities are provided
with adequate support and direction, healthy food options can be offered to
their customers.
V
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Smith, T.,
Schram, S., Tibbits, M., Wang, H., Balluf, M (2015). Healthy neighborhood stores: key
recommendations for working with owners of small stores in communities of high
need. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
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