The food environment and social determinants of food insufficiency and diet quality in rural households

This chapter examines how food access affects the dietary intake (fruits and vegetables consumption) and the food security of a sample of rural adults using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Information on the number of stores comes from the County Business Patterns and food banks and pantry data from the National Center for Charitable Statistics. Linear regression models show that the number of liquor stores and tobacco retail stores contributes to food insufficiency. The number of food outlets has an impact on diet quality. Food banks increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables and also reduce the risk of food insufficiency. Some of these associations differ depending on the level of social support. For those with little social support available, healthy behaviors and food banks have greater protective factors against food insecurity than those with social support. The findings suggest that while the food environment plays a role in diet quality and food security, providing informal social support (both individual and institutional) through the promotion of community engagement, providing assistance to food banks, and encouraging healthy behaviors would also improve the dietary intake and food security of rural residents.