The DC Food Retail Landscape Assessment: An Evaluation of Access to Healthy and Unhealthy Foods by Neighborhood and Retail Outlet Type

Background

Food insecurity affects over 13% of U.S. households, with rates exceeding 33% among those with incomes below 185% of the federal poverty level (Rabbitt et al., 2024). In Washington, DC, only four of the city’s 68 full-service grocery stores are in the lowest income wards (Jones & Simpson, 2023). Limited access to affordable, healthy food significantly exacerbates health disparities. Research on the food retail environment can provide insight into barriers to healthy diets, inform retail food policy, and establish a benchmark for healthy food environments and evaluation moving forward.

Objective

Examine differences in access and amount of shelf space dedicated to selling healthy and unhealthy foods across DC.

Study Design, Settings, Participants

This cross-sectional study included128 food retail outlets across DC. Stores were categorized as: full-service grocery stores, small/medium food stores, Healthy Corner Stores, convenience stores, or drug stores. Data collection measured the shelf length/type dedicated to five healthy food categories and three unhealthy food categories. Shelf types included aisles, endcaps, floor displays and checkouts. Researchers measured exposure by documenting cumulative shelf space and number of locations where items appear.

Measurable Outcome/Analysis

Analyses included: 1) linear shelf space dedicated to healthy/unhealthy foods across store types; and 2) shelf space variation within store types by geography. Means, standard deviations and ratios across wards/store types were calculated.

Results

All store types allocated more space to unhealthy foods with ratios below 1.0. A ratio of 1.0 would indicate an equal amount of space dedicated to healthy and unhealthy food. Full-service grocery stores (n=19) had the greatest ratio at 0.3, indicating three feet of shelf space for healthy foods for every seven feet of shelf space for unhealthy foods. Drug stores (n=25) had the least amount of space for healthy foods with a ratio of 0.006. Unhealthy foods were more prominent at endcaps and checkouts.

Conclusions

This data shows disparities in availability of healthy and unhealthy foods within food retail outlets by store type. This research can guide statewide programming and policies to improve food retail environments.

Funding

SNAP-Ed