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Food access inequalities in Chinese urban neighborhoods: a case study of the Dalian development zone

Author

Listed:
  • Jiaojiao Li

    (Dalian University of Technology)

  • Guobao Song

    (Dalian University of Technology)

  • Henry Musoke Semakula

    (Makerere University)

  • Yijie Dou

    (Dongbei University of Finance and Economics)

  • Shushen Zhang

    (Dalian University of Technology)

Abstract

Difficulties in accessing food exist in some Chinese cities, and it can be a challenge for residents to buy affordable, good-quality and nutritious fresh foods. This study proposes a residential building-based measure to evaluate food accessibility based on Geographic Information Systems. We used a total of eight types of food retailers and 28 food categories in our analysis and explored whether inequities in access to food existed among neighborhoods with different housing prices in the Dalian Development Zone using Kruskal-Wallis test methods. Our results show that 38% of residents living in 3724 residential buildings required between five and 10 min to access the nearest supermarket, while 10% required more than 20 min. The mean walking accessibility to stores with eggs (10 min) and with milk (10 min) was quicker than that to other types of food stores (14–16 min). In addition, high-wealth neighborhoods had better food accessibility than did low-wealth neighborhoods. However, in comparison to the other studied neighborhoods, those with medium-low-wealth had the highest level of food accessibility. Our results can be used by policymakers to better understand food access in residential areas and to help improve the food environment in Chinese cities.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiaojiao Li & Guobao Song & Henry Musoke Semakula & Yijie Dou & Shushen Zhang, 2019. "Food access inequalities in Chinese urban neighborhoods: a case study of the Dalian development zone," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(5), pages 1087-1099, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:11:y:2019:i:5:d:10.1007_s12571-019-00963-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-019-00963-6
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    7. Widener, Michael J. & Farber, Steven & Neutens, Tijs & Horner, Mark, 2015. "Spatiotemporal accessibility to supermarkets using public transit: an interaction potential approach in Cincinnati, Ohio," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 72-83.
    8. Selena Ahmed & Carmen Byker Shanks & Teresa Smith & Justin Shanks, 2018. "Fruit and vegetable desirability is lower in more rural built food environments of Montana, USA using the Produce Desirability (ProDes) Tool," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(1), pages 169-182, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Serge Savary & Sonia Akter & Conny Almekinders & Jody Harris & Lise Korsten & Reimund Rötter & Stephen Waddington & Derrill Watson, 2020. "Mapping disruption and resilience mechanisms in food systems," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(4), pages 695-717, August.
    2. Olivia Souza Honório & Paula Martins Horta & Milene Cristine Pessoa & Mariana Zogbi Jardim & Ariene Silva Carmo & Larissa Loures Mendes, 2022. "Food deserts and food swamps in a Brazilian metropolis: comparison of methods to evaluate the community food environment in Belo Horizonte," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(3), pages 695-707, June.

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