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Examining disparities in food accessibility among households in Columbus, Ohio: an agent-based model

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Abstract

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of complex interactions among household and environmental-level factors on household-level food availability via a simulation model, the Food Accessibility Agent-based Model in Central Columbus, Ohio (FAAMC) and to test impacts of novel interventions for reducing disparities in food availability. FAAMC simulates food shopping patterns of households based on the actual location of homes and food stores, transportation network, household income, vehicle ownership, and distance to food stores. Policy interventions, which were evaluated as single or combined interventions, included: (1) reducing preference for convenience stores/partial markets; (2) increasing food availability in stores; and (3) increasing household income through a guaranteed basic income supplement program. The FAAMC estimated that mean food availability for food insecure households is 23% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 22–24%) lower than for food secure households. Increasing household income among the poorest households may lead to a 14% (95% CI: 13–18%) increase in monthly food availability for food insecure households. Implementing multiple interventions would lead to a 41% (95% CI: 40–43%) increase in monthly food availability among food insecure households. This study exemplifies how a systems science approach may serve as an effective and efficient tool for evaluating “What if?” scenarios for improving household-level food security.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by an internal seed grant, Initiative for The Ohio State University’s Food and AgriCultural Transformation (InFact) 2015-2016 Linkage and Leverage Grant, to Ayaz Hyder. We would like to thank all the participants who attended our group model building workshops in 2016 and in 2017 for their input to this study. We also are grateful to the Editor and the anonymous reviewer for their critiques of the earlier drafts.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Rm 10.31, 10F, The Jockey Club Tower, Pokfulam RD, Hong Kong SAR, China

    Keumseok Koh

  2. Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Department, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, 2199 Addison St, Suite 435, Berkeley, CA, 94710, USA

    Rebecca Reno

  3. Division of Environmental Health Sciences, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, 380D, 1841 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH, 43201, USA

    Ayaz Hyder

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  1. Keumseok Koh
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Correspondence to Keumseok Koh.

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Koh, K., Reno, R. & Hyder, A. Examining disparities in food accessibility among households in Columbus, Ohio: an agent-based model. Food Sec. 11, 317–331 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-019-00900-7

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