Availability of healthy foods in prepared food sources in urban public markets.

摘要

Public markets serve many consumers and play a role in the food environment, yet few studies have assessed the foods commonly offered in them. This study examined prepared food sources (PFSs; n=100) at Baltimore's public markets by direct observations and gauged intention to sell healthy items through lease agreement review. A healthy food availability (HFA) score was created for standardized comparisons and 41% of PFSs scored below 1, indicating few healthier options. The findings suggest that urban public market PFSs currently offer few but showed intention to sell healthy items. Programs aimed to increase healthy food availability should include public markets.Digital Object Identifier http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19320248.2012.735219