Relationship of Food Availability and Accessibility to Women's Body Weights in Rural Upstate New York

Food stores within a large area of rural upstate New York (N = 870) were surveyed using the Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey for Stores. Food environments within 5 miles of the women's homes were characterized by (1) the proximity and (2) density of each store type and (3) the average Healthy Food Availability Index (HFAI) score. Logistic regression analyses predicted the risk of being overweight, obese, and overweight or obese (combined) by food environment characteristics. Greater access to food stores and greater availability of healthy food were associated with increased risk of overweight and obesity.