Accessibility Indicators to Fresh Food: A Quantitative Insight from Concepción, Chile

Abstract

Accessibility is crucial to establishing and maintaining a nutritious and healthy diet. Although much of the literature on access to healthy food has focused on study areas in the Global North, the topic is of growing relevance to other regions across the globe. In Chile, where the prevalence of chronic diseases related to obesity and diet has increased, and over 50 percent of Chileans are considered overweight or obese, improving accessibility to healthy food has been an essential strategy for improving health outcomes, including the food environment. In this article, we analyze walking accessibility from homes and workplaces to open street markets and supermarkets that sell fresh fruits and vegetables and consider the role of price in the Concepción metropolitan area, the second most populated city in Chile. Results suggest that supermarkets and open street markets are distributed in a complementary way. Open street markets have a crucial role in facilitating access to more affordable products for peripheral and low-income areas. Findings also show workplaces increase accessibility in a way that is complementary to residential location.

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