Disparities of Food Availability and Affordability within Convenience Stores in Bexar County, Texas

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends healthful food choices; however, some geographic areas are limited in the types of foods they offer. Little is known about the role of convenience stores as viable channels to provide healthier foods in our “grab and go” society. The purposes of this study were to (1) identify foods offered within convenience stores located in two Bexar County, Texas, ZIP Codes and (2) compare the availability and cost of ADA-recommended foods including beverages, produce, grains, and oils/fats. Data were analyzed from 28 convenience store audits performed in two sociodemographically diverse ZIP Codes in Bexar County, Texas. Chi-squared tests were used to compare food availability, and -tests were used to compare food cost in convenience stores between ZIP Codes. A significantly larger proportion of convenience stores in more affluent areas offered bananas ( , ), whole grain bread ( , ), and baked potato chips ( , ). On average, the price of diet cola ( , ) and certain produce items (e.g., bananas, oranges, tomatoes, broccoli, and cucumber) was significantly higher within convenience stores in more affluent areas. Convenience stores can play an important role to positively shape a community’s food environment by stocking healthier foods at affordable prices. 1. Introduction Well-known risk factors for developing chronic disease include being overweight or obese, being physically inactive, and having poor nutritional habits [1, 2]. Medical costs associated with being overweight (i.e., body mass index [BMI] of 25 to 29.9？kg/m2) and obese (i.e., BMI greater than 30？kg/m2) account for almost 10% of the total U.S. healthcare expenditures (estimated at $147 billion), of which approximately half are paid by Medicaid and Medicare [3–5]. Relative to their non-Hispanic white counterparts, Hispanic individuals are disproportionately burdened by chronic health conditions related to obesity including heart disease, stroke, hypertension, and diabetes [6–9]. Obesity- and disease-related disparities among Hispanic individuals have been related to lower socioeconomic status, less desirable lifestyle behaviors, less frequent healthcare utilization, and environmental factors impacting access to healthful resources and services [10]. While socioenvironmental factors are generally recognized as contributors to health status [11], studies about the food culture of certain communities have become the focus of research studies to identify areas considered to be “food deserts” [12]. Although food deserts traditionally indicate areas where