Relationship Between BMI and Food Purchases in Low-Income, Urban African American Adult Carry-Out Customers

Abstract

Carry-outs are an important source of calorically dense foods in low-income urban neighborhoods. However, little is known about how customer body mass index (BMI) relates to purchasing behavior. A random sample of 184 adult carry-out customers was surveyed on frequency of visits, demographic information, and purchases made over the prior week at 8 carry-outs. This information was used to determine healthy food purchasing scores. BMI was negatively associated with purchasing a healthy side dish (β = −0.052, P = .025) and positively associated with purchasing a healthy drink (β = 0.051, P = .022), adjusting for age, sex, education, and employment. Based on these findings, efforts could be made to improve the food environment by increasing promotion of these healthier options.

Keywords:

• carry-outs
• nutrition
• food environment
• body mass index (BMI)
• low-income neighborhoods
• prepared food
• restaurants

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Baltimore Diabetes Research and Training Center and Center for a Livable Future.

Vanessa A. Hoffman is currently Program Coordinator for Research and Education, Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, Bethesda, MD, USA.