Associations between frequency of food shopping at different food sources and fruit and vegetable intake among rural residents in upstate New York, USA.

objectiveTo examine the frequency of shopping at different food sources and the associations between shopping at different food sources and fruit and vegetable (FV) intake among upstate New York rural residents.

designCross-sectional study. Descriptive statistics and linear mixed models were used.

settingEighty-two rural communities in upstate New York, USA.

participantsAdults (n 465; 82·3 % female, mean age 51·5 years, mean BMI 31·7 kg/m2).

resultsWithin one's community, the majority of participants reported often going to supermarkets (73·1 %). Many participants sometimes or occasionally shopped at superstores (48·0 %), convenience stores (57·9 %), small grocery stores or local markets (57·2 %), farmers' markets or FV stores (66·6 %), dollar stores (51·5 %), pharmacies (46·0 %), or farm stands or community-supported agriculture (56·8 %). Most participants had never utilized food banks or food pantries (94·0 %), community gardens (92·7 %) or home food delivery (91·9 %). While frequent visits to farmers' markets or farm stands were associated with higher fruit intake (P < 0·001), frequent visits to food co-ops or food hubs were associated with lower fruit intake (P = 0·004). Frequent visits to convenience stores (P = 0·002) and dollar stores (P = 0·004) were associated with lower vegetable intake. When FV intakes were combined, frequent visits to farmers' markets or farm stands (P < 0·001) were associated with higher FV intake, and frequent visits to convenience stores (P = 0·005) were associated with lower FV intake.

conclusionsFindings from the present study provide important insight for informing future food environment interventions related to helping rural residents consume adequate FV.