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Comparing Sugary Drinks in the Food Retail Environment in Six NYC Neighborhoods

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Abstract

Obesity is a national public health concern linked to numerous chronic health conditions among Americans of all age groups. Evidence suggests that discretionary calories from sugary drink consumption have been a significant contributor to excess caloric intake among both children and adults. Research has established strong links between retail food environments and purchasing habits of consumers, but little information exists on the sugary drink retail environment in urban neighborhoods. The objective of this assessment was to compare various aspects of the sugary drink retail environment across New York City (NYC) neighborhoods with disparate self-reported sugary drink consumption patterns. In-store retail audits were conducted at 883 corner stores, chain pharmacies, and grocery stores in 12 zip codes throughout NYC. Results showed that among all beverage types assessed, sugary drinks had the most prominent presence in the retail environment overall, which was even more pronounced in higher-consumption neighborhoods. In higher- versus lower-consumption neighborhoods, the mean number of sugary drink varieties available at stores was higher (11.4 vs. 10.4 varieties), stores were more likely to feature sugary drink advertising (97 vs. 89 %) and advertising at multiple places throughout the store (78 vs. 57 %), and several sugary drinks, including 20-oz Coke® or Pepsi®, were less expensive ($1.38 vs. $1.60). These results, all statistically significant, indicate that neighborhoods characterized by higher levels of sugary drink consumption expose shoppers to sugary drinks to a greater extent than lower-consumption neighborhoods. This builds upon evidence documenting the association between the environment and individual behavior.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported in part by a cooperative agreement from CDC’s Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) program (3U58DP002418-01S1). The findings and conclusions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Special thanks to Tamara Dumanovsky, Philip Alberti, Carolyn Olson, Christa Myers, Lynn Silver, and the NYC DOHMH CPPW Research and Evaluation Workgroup for assistance with research design and analysis. Thanks to Cathy Nonas for her review of this paper, to Lillian Dunn and Ryan Ruff for assistance with analysis, and to Pathu Sriphanlop for performing a data check. Thanks also to our data collectors: Thao Bui, Christine C. Caruso, Jason Codjoe, Kathleen Delgado, Devin Madden, Yemisi Okusanya, and Nirav Patel.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention and Tobacco Control, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Gotham Center, 42-09 28th Street, 9th Floor, CN 46, Long Island City, NY, 11101-4132, USA

    Tamar Adjoian, Rachel Dannefer, Rachel Sacks & Gretchen Van Wye

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  1. Tamar Adjoian
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  2. Rachel Dannefer
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  3. Rachel Sacks
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Correspondence to Tamar Adjoian.

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Adjoian, T., Dannefer, R., Sacks, R. et al. Comparing Sugary Drinks in the Food Retail Environment in Six NYC Neighborhoods. J Community Health 39, 327–335 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-013-9765-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-013-9765-y

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