Background: Few studies have focused on the relationship between the retail food environment and household\r\nfood supplies. This study examines spatial access to retail food stores, food shopping habits, and nutrients available\r\nin household food supplies among 50 Mexican-origin families residing in Texas border colonias.\r\nMethods: The design was cross-sectional; data were collected in the home March to June 2010 by promotoraresearchers.\r\nGround-truthed methods enumerated traditional (supercenters, supermarkets, grocery stores),\r\nconvenience (convenience stores and food marts), and non-traditional (dollar stores, discount stores) retail food\r\nstores. Spatial access was computed using the network distance from each participant�s residence to each food\r\nstore. Data included survey data and two household food inventories (HFI) of the presence and amount of food\r\nitems in the home. The Spanish language interviewer-administered survey included demographics, transportation\r\naccess, food purchasing, food and nutrition assistance program participation, and the 18-item Core Food Security\r\nModule. Nutrition Data Systems for Research (NDS-R) was used to calculate HFI nutrients. Adult equivalent\r\nadjustment constants (AE), based on age and gender calorie needs, were calculated based on the age- and gender\r\ncomposition of each household and used to adjust HFI nutrients for household composition. Data were analyzed\r\nusing bivariate analysis and linear regression models to determine the association of independent variables with\r\nthe availability of each AE-adjusted nutrient.\r\nResults: Regression models showed that households in which the child independently purchased food from a\r\nconvenience store at least once a week had foods and beverages with increased amounts of total energy, total fat,\r\nand saturated fat. A greater distance to the nearest convenience store was associated with reduced amounts of\r\ntotal energy, vitamin D, total sugar, added sugar, total fat, and saturated fat. Participation in the National School\r\nLunch Program (NSLP) was associated with lower household levels of total energy, calcium, vitamin C, sodium,\r\nvitamin D, and saturated fat. Spatial access and utilization of supermarkets and dollar stores were not associated\r\nwith nutrient availability.\r\nConclusions: Although household members frequently purchased food items from supermarkets or dollar stores, it\r\nwas spatial access to and frequent utilization of convenience food stores that influenced the amount of nutrients\r\npresent in Texas border colonia households. These findings also suggest that households which participate in NSLP\r\nhave reduced AE-adjusted nutrients available in the home. The next step will target changes within convenience\r\nstores to improve in-store marketing of foods and beverages to children and adults.
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