Corner Store Makeovers in East Los Angeles: Changing the Food Environment

Alex Ortega

Deborah Glik Mike Prelip

Ron Brookmeyer Mike Blockstein Reanne Estrada Nathan Cheng

Jeremiah Garza Brent Langellier Mienah Sharif

Rosa Elena Garcia

UCLA Center for Population Health & Health Disparities

Background: Food Swamp East L.A. has been characterized as a “food swamp,” with poor access to comprehensive grocery stores and foods recommended as a basis for a healthful and balanced diet…

Image by Public Matters

Getty Image California Center for Public Health Advocacy, 2007

Relative Advantage of Corner Store Conversions

• Increases healthy produce in urban food deserts (Glanz & Yaroch, 2004; Raja, Ma & Yadav, 2008)

• Builds upon existing community resources (Bolen & Hecht, 2003)

• Sustainable profit when converted properly (Bolen & Hecht, 2003)

Images by Public Matters

Some Ingredients for Sustainable Conversion (Bolen & Hecht, 2003)

•Location •Business entrepreneurship •Customer acceptance •Access to wholesalers

Closing the Gap in “Market Makeover” Literature

Four Research Aims: 1. How do we select corner stores which

are viable candidates for conversion ? 2. What are the best practices to market

and promote corner stores in resource poor communities?

3. What factors are related to the maintenance and sustainability of corner store conversions?

4. What impact do corner store conversions have on the consumption and health behaviors of patrons and community residents? Images by Public Matters

Market Makeover

Project 3 – conceptual framework

Social ecological model: • Micro: individual, household • Meso: community, organization • Macro: society, public policy

Implications: • Multilevel interventions • Multilevel research

Corner Store Conversions

Youth Engagement

Social Marketing

Corner Store Conversions

Patron Survey

Key Informant Interviews

Corner Store Conversions

Community Media Related to Food

Social Marketing

Corner Store Conversions

Community Survey

Social Marketing

Youth Engagement

Focus Groups

Proposed Student Survey

YASH- Before & During Transformation

Students rolling up their sleeves to create a healthier market!

Transforming it into a healthier market serving the Latino community!

Photos courtesy of CAB members

Celebrating the Grand Re-Opening of YASH, Oct. 29, 2011

Community came out to celebrate and enjoy the information booths, garden, and fun!

After the Makeover!

YASH now has a bountiful selection of healthy fruits and vegetables and a lovely garden out back

Social Marketing Campaign Multi-Pronged including:

a) Community events and presentations b) Performances c) Video screenings d) Door-to-door canvassing and outreach efforts e) Cooking demonstrations f) Media coverage

All Social marketing activities have goal to increase awareness of healthy eating and promote

the made-over stores!

Photos courtesy of CAB members & Public Matters

Youth-Led Social Marketing Activities Reach Latino Community

Youth in costumes participate at community events

Youth conduct video screenings at ELA Civic Center, create buzz for store

Outreach materials promote store/ healthy eating

Social marketing and nutrition education

• Create buzz about the made over store

• Promote healthy food • Culturally appropriate • Overall goal is to make over

the market for healthy food • Just offering healthy food is

not enough—people have to buy the food

Social Marketing-Media Coverage • We’ve had extensive coverage in:

• Television (Univision, ABC7, Channel 22) • Print (La Opinion, LA Times, EPG Publications, UCLA Bruin,

among others) • Radio (NPR, BBC) • Live web-chats (Latino Net, UCLA SPH WebCast) • Conference presentations (SCPHA)

We’ve had tremendous support of our CAB members, community agencies, students and volunteers who provided: • In-kind support for reproduction, media

coverage, incentives, outreach efforts (value over $3000)

• Office/meeting space for makeover & research activities

• 960 volunteer hours!

Community Support has been fabulous!

Community Survey • Design: • Comparison group study using 4 intervention stores and 4 control

stores, • Longitudinal

• Timeline: • Conducted prior to the store conversions and 2 years later

• Sample size: • 125 per cluster (1000 total at baseline; 1000 follow-up)

• Communities: • 8 geographic areas (about 4 block radius around each index store)

in East Los Angeles

• Language: English & Spanish

• Incentive: $25 cash

Community Survey • Domains:

• Food purchasing patterns (usual places, corner stores , general corner stores, target corner store)

• Food preparation and consumption patterns- specific focus on fruits and vegetables

• Attitudes about corner stores • Depressive symptomatology • Food insecurity • Health status • Knowledge, awareness related to social marketing nutrition

campaigns (Champions for Change, FoodPlate, etc) • Demographic variables (age, education, ethnicity/race,

immigrant status, language, etc)

Questions?