Separate and unequal: The influence of neighborhood and school characteristics on spatial proximity between fast food and schools

Objective. Social science and health literature have identified residential segregation as a critical factor in exposure to health-related resources, including food environments. Differential spatial patterning of food environments surrounding schools has significant import for youth. We examined whether fast food restaurants clustered around schools in New York City, and whether any observed clustering varied as a function of school type, school racial demographics, and area racial and socioeconomic demographics. Results. A minimum of 25% of schools had a fast food restaurant within 400 m. High schools had higher fast food clustering than elementary schools. Public elementary and high schools with large proportions of Black students or in block groups with large proportions of Black residents had higher clustering than White counterparts. Finally, public high schools had higher clustering than private counterparts, with 1.25 to 2 times as many restaurants than expected by chance. Conclusion. The results suggest that the geography of opportunity as it relates to school food environments is unequal in New York City

DIETARY BEHAVIOR AMONG AFRICAN AMERICANS: ASSESSING CULTURAL IDENTITY AND HEALTH CONSCIOUSNESS

The present study utilized the African selfconsciousness (ASC) construct as an index of African-American cultural identity, and explored its association with health consciousness and dietary behavior. One hundred ninety- seven African-American adults residing in a Southeastern community participated in the study. Results demonstrated few, but significant, correlations between cultural identity and health consciousness. A similar relationship was observed between cultural identity and dietary behavior. Further, after statistically controlling for health consciousness, cultural identity contributed unique variance to dietary behavior. These ®ndings represent preliminary evidence suggesting the general viability of cultural models in explaining African American health behavior. More importantly, the study offers avenues for additional research on the complex roles played by culture and cultural identity in African-American dietary behavior

Association Between Residential Exposure to Outdoor Alcohol Advertising and Problem Drinking Among African American Women in New York City

We evaluated the association between residential exposure to outdoor alcohol advertising and current problem drinking among 139 African American women aged 21 to 49 years in Central Harlem, New York City. We found that exposure to advertisements was positively related to problem drinking (13% greater odds), even after we controlled for a family history of alcohol problems and socioeconomic status. The results suggest that the density of alcohol advertisements in predominantly African American neighborhoods may add to problem drinking behavior of their residents