Corner stores: the perspective of urban youth.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the perspectives of low-income, urban youth about the corner store experience to inform the development of corner store interventions. DESIGN: Focus groups were conducted to understand youth perceptions regarding their early shopping experiences, the process of store selection, reasons for shopping in a corner store, parental guidance about corner stores, and what their ideal, or "dream corner store" would look like. Thematic analysis was employed to identify themes using ATLAS.ti (version 6.1, 2010, ATLAS.ti GmbH) and Excel (version 2010, Microsoft Corp). SETTING: Focus groups were conducted in nine kindergarten-through-grade 8 (K-8) public schools in low-income neighborhoods with 40 fourth- to sixth-graders with a mean age of 10.9±0.8 years. RESULTS: Youth report going to corner stores with family members at an early age. By second and third grades, a growing number of youth reported shopping unaccompanied by an older sibling or adult. Youth reported that the products sold in stores were the key reason they choose a specific store. A small number of youth said their parents offered guidance on their corner store purchases. When youth were asked what their dream corner store would look like, they mentioned wanting a combination of healthy and less-healthy foods. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that, among low-income, urban youth, corner store shopping starts at a very young age and that product, price, and location are key factors that affect corner store selection. The data also suggest that few parents offer guidance about corner store purchases, and youth are receptive to having healthier items in corner stores. Corner store intervention efforts should target young children and their parents/caregivers and aim to increase the availability of affordable, healthier products.

Corner store purchases made by adults, adolescents and children: items, nutritional characteristics and amount spent.

OBJECTIVE: Corner stores, also known as bodegas, are prevalent in low-income urban areas and primarily stock high-energy foods and beverages. Little is known about individual-level purchases in these locations. The purpose of the present study was to assess corner store purchases (items, nutritional characteristics and amount spent) made by children, adolescents and adults in a low-income urban environment. DESIGN: Evaluation staff used 9238 intercept surveys to directly examine food and beverage purchases. SETTING: Intercepts were collected at 192 corner stores in Philadelphia, PA, USA. SUBJECTS: Participants were adult, adolescent and child corner store shoppers. RESULTS: Among the 9238 intercept surveys, there were 20 244 items. On average, at each corner store visit, consumers purchased 2.2 (sd 2.1) items (1.3 (sd 2.0) foods and 0.9 (sd 0.9) beverages) that cost $US 2.74 (sd $US 3.52) and contained 2786.5 (sd 4454.2) kJ (666.0 (sd 1064.6) kcal). Whether the data were examined as a percentage of total items purchased or as a percentage of intercepts, the most common corner store purchases were beverages, chips, prepared food items, pastries and candy. Beverage purchases occurred during 65.9% of intercepts and accounted for 39.2% of all items. Regular soda was the most popular beverage purchase. Corner store purchases averaged 66.2 g of sugar, 921.1 mg of sodium and 2.5 g of fibre per intercept. Compared with children and adolescents, adults spent the most money and purchased the most energy. CONCLUSIONS: Urban corner store shoppers spent almost $US 3.00 for over 2700 kJ (650 kcal) per store visit. Obesity prevention efforts may benefit from including interventions aimed at changing corner store food environments in low-income, urban areas.

Changes in quantity, spending, and nutritional characteristics of adult, adolescent and child urban corner store purchases after an environmental intervention.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess one-year changes in corner store purchases (nutritional characteristics, amount spent) of children, adolescents, and adults in a low-income urban environment before and after implementing an environmental intervention to increase the availability of healthier products. METHODS: Corner store owners were provided tools (trainings, signage, refrigeration) to increase the promotion and availability of several healthy foods. Based on the degree of support provided, stores were classified as "basic" or "high-intensity" intervention stores. Data on purchases and their nutrient content were gathered (n = 8671 at baseline, n = 5949 at follow-up) through customer purchase assessment interviews and direct observation outside of 192 corner stores in Philadelphia from March 2011 to August 2012. RESULTS: At baseline, shoppers spent $2.81 ± 3.52 for 643 ± 1065 kcal. Energy, select nutrients, and the total amount spent did not significantly change in the overall sample from baseline to follow-up. Similarly, there was no effect on energy and nutrient content when comparing changes over time between basic and high-intensity stores. CONCLUSIONS: There were no significant changes in the energy or nutrient content of corner store purchases one year after implementation of environmental changes to increase the availability of healthier products.

A randomized controlled study of a healthy corner store initiative on the purchases of urban, low-income youth.

OBJECTIVE: Although many initiatives exist to improve the availability of healthy foods in corner stores, few randomized trials have assessed their effects. This study evaluated, in a randomized controlled trial, the effects of a first-generation healthy corner store intervention on students' food and beverage purchases over a 2-year period. METHODS: Participants (n = 767) were fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-grade students. Ten schools and their nearby corner stores (n = 24) were randomly assigned to the healthy corner store intervention or an assessment-only control. Intercept surveys directly assessed the nutritional characteristics of students' corner store purchases at baseline, 1 and 2 years. Students' weight and heights were measured at baseline, 1 and 2 years. RESULTS: There were no differences in energy content per intercept purchased from control or intervention schools at year 1 (P = 0.12) or 2 (P = 0.58). There were no differences between control and intervention students in BMI z score (year 1, P = 0.83; year 2, P = 0. 98) or obesity prevalence (year 1, P = 0.96; year 2, P = 0.58). CONCLUSIONS: A healthy corner store initiative did not result in significant changes in the energy content of corner store purchases or in continuous or categorical measures of obesity. These data will help to inform future interventions.

Snacking in children: the role of urban corner stores.

OBJECTIVE: Childhood obesity is higher among ethnic minorities. One reason may be the limited access to affordable, healthy options. The disparate prevalence of urban corner stores in low-income and high-minority communities has been well documented. There are no data, however, on what children purchase in these environments before and after school. The purpose of this study was to document the nature of children's purchases in corner stores proximal to their schools. METHODS: This was an observational study from January to June 2008. Participants were children in grades 4 through 6 from 10 urban K-8 schools with >or=50% of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals. A total of 833 intercept surveys of children's purchases were conducted outside 24 corner stores before and after school. The main outcomes were type and energy content of items purchased. RESULTS: The most frequently purchased items were energy-dense, low-nutritive foods and beverages, such as chips, candy, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Students spent $1.07 +/- 0.93 on 2.1 +/- 1.3 items (1.6 +/- 1.1 food items and 0.5 +/- 0.6 beverage items) per purchase. The total number of calories purchased per trip was 1497.7 +/- 1219.3 kJ (356.6 +/- 290.3 kcal). More calories came from foods than from beverages. CONCLUSIONS: Purchases made in corner stores contribute significantly to energy intake among urban school children. Obesity prevention efforts, as well as broader efforts to enhance dietary quality among children in urban settings, should include corner store environments proximal to schools.