Urban Studies and Planning Commons^™

Healthy Snack Availability Near High- And Low-Income Urban Schools, Hayley Pickus, Nancy Findholt, Betty T. Izumi, Thuan Nguyen

Student Research Symposium

Children’s snacking habits are influenced by their immediate food environments. Increasingly, findings show that factors such as corner stores near schools are related to obesity. This study was conducted in preparation for a larger, community-based participatory research project to create "healthy snacking zones” near schools in a rural Oregon county. The objective was to assess healthy snack availability in stores located within a half mile radius of high- and low-income elementary and middle schools in Portland, Oregon. Using Geographic Information Systems, convenience and food stores were selected and classified as either high- or low income based on % eligibility to …