Food Access and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Metropolitan Atlanta Census Tracts With Residents at Low Risk and High Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: The Morehouse–Emory Cardiovascular Center for Health Equity Study
ORIGINAL RESEARCH — Volume 18 — May 6, 2021
PEER REVIEWED
This map of the Atlanta area depicts areas of objectively measured food access. Low food access refers to areas with limited access to healthy foods, and not low food access refers to areas with high access to healthy foods. We found that high food access tracts tended to be close to central city of Atlanta, and low food access tracts tended to be in the surrounding areas of the city.
Figure.
Objectively measured levels of food access, by 2010 census tract boundaries, in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. Only census tracts in which participants in the Morehouse–Emory Cardiovascular Center for Health Equity Study (indicated by the numbers inside census tracts) resided were examined for food access. “Low food access” refers to census tract areas that had objectively measured low levels of access to healthy foods, and “not low food access” refers to census tracts areas that had objectively measured high levels of access to healthy foods. The US Department of Agriculture Food Access Research Atlas classifies urban census tracts as having low levels of access to healthy foods when ≤500 people or 33% of the census tract population resides 1 mile or more from a large grocery store, supercenter, or supermarket (22). Inset shows the city of Atlanta.
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