Healthy Retail as a Strategy for Improving Food Security and the Built Environment in San Francisco
Country:
United States
State / Locale:
San Francisco, CA
Population:
Corner Stores In Low-Income Neighborhoods
Community Engagement (IAP2 Spectrum):
Involve
Equity:
People Place Power
Study Description:
This paper talks about a program in San Francisco, California, that aimed to make neighborhood stores in low-income areas healthier. They used a three-part plan: first, they helped stores change their layout to fit healthier products. Second, they gave advice on how to get healthy products and run a good business. Third, they involved local residents to help and paid them for their work. The program picked stores in areas where people struggle to find nutritious foods, and if the stores made changes like selling more fresh food and less tobacco and alcohol, they got around $24,000 to help with costs. The study wanted to see if this money helped the stores do better financially and cover the costs of selling healthier items. Stores were given ratings from one to four stars based on how they sold healthy and unhealthy products, and the program helped many stores improve their ratings. Over four years, the percentage of lower-rated stores dropped from 77% to 49%. The success of the program also influenced other stores nearby to start selling healthier items too. The research demonstrated ongoing support and the potential for the initiative to succeed in the future.
Minkler, M., Estrada, J., Dyer, S., Hennessey-Lavery, S., Wakimoto, P., & Falbe, J. (2019). Healthy retail as a strategy for improving food security and the built environment in San Francisco. American journal of public health, 109(S2), S137-S140.