Project Grant 20246702342729

** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** CONSIDERABLE PRIOR RESEARCH ATTEMPTS TO UNTANGLE THE IMPACTS OF NEIGHBORHOOD FOOD ENVIRONMENTS ON DIET AND DIET-RELATED HEALTH DISPARITIES. STUDIES IN THE AGRICULTURAL POLICY LITERATURE TEND TO FOCUS ON THE PRESENCE AND DENSITY OF GROCERY STORES, IGNORING THAT THE NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF OFFERINGS CAN VARY CONSIDERABLY FROM STORE-TO-STORE; STUDIES IN THE NUTRITION LITERATURE ANALYZE DIFFERENCES IN FOOD OFFERINGS AT THE STORE-LEVEL, BUT DO SO ONLY FOR SMALL GEOGRAPHIC AREAS. DUE TO THE HIGH COST OF CONSTRUCTING STORE-LEVEL MEASURES OF AVAILABLE FOODS, FEW NATIONAL-SCALE STUDIES ACCOUNT FOR THE DISTRIBUTIONS OF FOOD RETAILERS, THEIR OFFERINGS, AND PRICES.CONSOLIDATION AND PROLIFERATION OF NON-TRADITIONAL STORE FORMATS SUCH AS SUPERCENTERS, NATURAL/GOURMET GROCERIES, AND DOLLAR STORES IN RECENT DECADES HAVE CHANGED THE US FOOD-AT-HOME RETAIL LANDSCAPE. RECENT STUDIES INDICATE STORE OFFERINGS, PRICES, AND CONSUMER PURCHASES VARY ACROSS THESE FORMATS, HIGHLIGHTING THE NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR DIFFERENCES IN BOTH STORE OFFERINGS AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF RETAIL FORMATS WHEN CONDUCTING POLICY-RELEVANT RESEARCH.TO THIS END, THE OBJECTS ARE TO: 1) DEVELOPSTORE-LEVEL MEASURES OF THE HEALTHFULNESS OF FOOD OFFERINGS THAT ACCOUNT FOR PRICES CONSTRUCTED USING VALIDATED AND RELIABLE QUESTIONARIES, STORE-LEVEL SCANNER DATA AND PRODUCT NUTRITION INFORMATION; 2) IDENTIFYMARKET BOUNDARIES BY STORE FORMAT USING CELLULAR DATA; 3) LEVERAGEFINDINGS FROM 1 AND 2 TO EVALUATE HOW THE HEALTHFULNESS OF OFFERINGS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH GEOGRAPHY, MARKET CONCENTRATION, AND SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS; AND 4) USEVARIATION IN THE HEALTHFULNESS OF FOOD OFFERING IN MARKETS ACROSS TIME AND SPACE TO CAUSALLY IDENTIFY HOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOOD-AT-HOME RETAIL ENVIRONMENT IMPACTS THE HEALTHFULNESS OF FOOD PURCHASES AND DIET-RELATED HEALTH OUTCOMES.