TY - JOUR T1 - Comparing Nutrition Environments in Bodegas and Fast-Food Restaurants AU - Neckerman, Kathryn M. AU - Lovasi, Laszlo AU - Yousefzadeh, Paulette AU - Sheehan, Daniel AU - Milinkovic, Karla AU - Baecker, Aileen AU - Bader, Michael D. M. AU - Weiss, Christopher AU - Lovasi, Gina S. AU - Rundle, Andrew G. PY - 2014/04/01 SP - 595 EP - 602 JF - Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics JA - VL - 114 IS - 4 T2 - Nutrition Environments in Bodegas and Fast Food Restaurants N2 - Many small grocery stores or “bodegas” sell prepared or ready-to-eat items, filling a niche in the food environment similar to fast-food restaurants. However, little comparative information is available about the nutrition environments of bodegas and fast-food outlets. This study compared the nutrition environments of bodegas and national chain fast-food restaurants using a common audit instrument, the Nutrition Environment Measures Study in Restaurants (NEMS-R) protocol. The analytic sample included 109 bodegas and 107 fast-food restaurants located in New York City neighborhoods in the upper third and lower third of the census tract poverty rate distribution. Inter-rater reliability was evaluated in 102 food outlets, including 31 from the analytic sample and 71 from a supplementary convenience sample. The analysis compared scores on individual NEMS-R items, a total summary score, and subscores indicating healthy food availability, nutrition information, promotions of healthy or unhealthy eating, and price incentives for healthy eating, using t tests and χ2 statistics to evaluate differences by outlet type and neighborhood poverty. Fast-food restaurants were more likely to provide nutrition information, and bodegas scored higher on healthy food availability, promotions, and pricing. Bodegas and fast-food restaurants had similar NEMS-R total scores (bodegas 13.09, fast food 14.31; P=0.22). NEMS-R total scores were higher (indicating healthier environments) in low- than high-poverty neighborhoods among both bodegas (14.79 vs 11.54; P=0.01) and fast-food restaurants (16.27 vs 11.60; P<0.01). Results imply different policy measures to improve nutrition environments in the two types of food outlets. UR - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212267213011258 SN - DO - 10.1016/j.jand.2013.07.007 ER -