Herramienta resultante

Geographical location has been identified as one of the factors affecting food availability, which is one of the main components of food security. In the model of the four components of food security (Figure 2.1), location is listed as a determinant of food availability. The location of food outlets, particularly supermarkets, is a key feature of the local food supply. Larger food outlets such as supermarkets offer a wider range of food options, cheaper prices and higher quality food (Liese et al., 2007; Zenk et al., 2009). A diverse range of healthy food, such as fresh fruit and vegetables can be found in supermarkets (Tsang et al., 2007). Food price is

influenced by food availability (Liese et al., 2007). When there is a diverse range of food, food prices will be relatively lower, so food prices in supermarkets are

relatively lower compared to local food outlets (Palermo et al., 2008). Better access to supermarkets will result in healthier diets and lower levels of obesity (Larson et al., 2009). It is also suggested that residents with limited access to fast-food restaurants and convenience stores tend to have healthier diets. However, the incidence of fast-food restaurants and availability of energy-dense foods is greater in lower-income and minority neighbourhoods (Larson et al., 2009). Thus, it is a challenge for people on low incomes, living in disadvantaged environments to obtain healthy food.

The availability of fruit and vegetables in food outlets influences the fruit and vegetable intake of the population in an area. The presence of larger food outlets with more diverse range of familiar or culturally specific fruit and vegetables

increases the average daily fruit and vegetable intake among the ethnic community in the specific area. For instance, studies have found that less fruit and vegetables are consumed in Latino and African-American neighbourhoods in the US because most of the food outlets located in these neighbourhoods offered few commonly consumed or culturally specific fruit and vegetables (Booth & Watts, 2013; Grigsby- Toussaint et al., 2010; Zenk et al., 2009). Therefore, a barrier is created for culturally different populations to consume more fruit and vegetables in their diets.

Food availability and accessibility issues are always apparent in rural and remote areas. According to Tsang et al. (2007), the variety and quality of food, especially healthy and fresh food, decreases as the distance from an urban area increases. The availability of food is often restricted in small locales and rural areas, with usually only one food outlet in the locality. Isolated community food stores have limited stocks of fresh fruit and vegetables (Friel & Baker, 2009). Hence, a completely healthy food basket is less likely to be available at local food outlets in rural areas. Due to the location and limited food choices, food prices are normally higher in rural areas compared to urban areas. This can be due to the freight costs and irregular deliveries which contribute to high prices and a limited range of foods (Pollard et al., 2014). Moreover, generally healthy food is typically more expensive than less healthy food (Burns, 2004b; Kettings et al., 2009; Liese et al., 2007; Tsang et al., 2007). High food prices and fewer food varieties are burdensome for poor households in rural areas (Kaufman, 1998). Rural areas in the US experienced high rates of food insecurity problems related to poverty, food access and higher food costs (Pheley et al., 2002). A study in Queensland (Lee et al., 2002) on food

availability, cost and accessibility in remote areas showed similar results: there was a greater increase in food prices for stores located in rural or remote areas,

resulting in higher prices for a healthy food basket. The cost of a healthy food basket is higher in rural areas, compared to urban areas, affecting the access to healthy food by rural populations (Harrison et al., 2010).

Most people on low incomes are the ones who move to urban fringes and rural areas where food deserts are more likely to exist (Tasmanian Food Security Council, 2012). A food desert occurs where healthy food is difficult to obtain or is absent due to difficulty of access, low food quality, a restricted range of food quality or choices, and high food prices. These problems make it difficult for low income people living in rural areas to access or afford healthy food to achieve food security. Socially- distressed low-income neighbourhoods with poor access to health food often experience food deserts (Evans, 2013).

In addition, the accessibility of transport becomes one of the restricting factors for individuals purchasing food, particularly in rural and remote areas (Anderson &

Sellen, 2013; Kirkpatrick & Tarasuk, 2010; Patil et al., 2009; Vahabi & Damba, 2013). In rural and remote areas, transport is often needed to shop for food because of the distance between the home and the food stores and the quantity of items that need to be carried (Gorton et al., 2010). People who have their own transport have been shown to experience lower incidences of food insecurity (De Marco et al., 2009). A short walking distance to food shops is particularly important for people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, as the cost of transport can become burdensome (Kirkpatrick & Tarasuk, 2010). Thus, the accessibility barrier relating to transport and mobility is reported as a factor contributing to the access to healthy food (Cuesta et al., 2011). In rural areas, people need to travel greater distances to access food because supermarkets or food outlets are usually further from their place of residence. However, there is often a lack of public transport in the urban fringes and remote areas (Friel & Baker, 2009). People with low socioeconomic backgrounds and the elderly living in rural areas can face difficulties in accessing public transport or have no transport that allows them to access food from stores that are located far away (Green-LaPierre et al., 2012). As a result, they would rather purchase food that is available locally, such as fast food, to replace their meals (Burns & Inglis, 2007). Consequently they consume more unhealthy food, which in turn affects their food security level. A study on food access in Melbourne showed that people who live within eight to ten minutes car journey of a major supermarket will eat healthier food compared to those who live further away (Burns & Inglis, 2007). Statistics from the Victorian Department of Health Services (DHS) showed that 7.3% of the population of Victoria faced difficulties in getting to food shops due to inadequate public transport (DHS, 2008). This is indicative of inadequate public transport or a lack of personal transport to and from shops in rural areas which restricts individuals from accessing healthy food.