Assessment of Healthy Food Availability in Washington State-Questioning the Food Desert Paradigm.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the geographic distribution of healthy food retailers in Washington State and estimate the number of Washington State residents with restricted availability of healthy food.

METHODS: Street network service areas were drawn around Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant, and Children retailers for multiple drive times and walking distances in urban and rural Washington State. Population characteristics inside and outside each service area were examined.

RESULTS: Nearly all Washington State residents in urban areas lived within a 10-minute drive of a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant, and Children retailer. Among rural residents, 4.6% were in census blocks outside a 20-minute drive, but the populations were dispersed. Differential access related to income was attributable to a lack of transportation.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Disparities in nutrition described in the published literature may not be due to the geographic distribution of healthy food retailers. Programs for improving nutrition should consider broader interventions to increase access to healthy food.