Comparing the Food Environment in Rural and Urban Areas of Selected Nevada Regions

National and county level examination of urban and rural food environments has takenplace, but primary validation of venue existence and in-venue data are lacking. Theliterature show disparities in access to healthy foods through low density of largegrocers/supermarkets, low variety and quality of produce and higher prices for a healthydiet in rural versus urban geographies. Rural areas are of unique concern due to poorhealth indicators such as higher obesity rates, higher diabetes rates, lower incomes andlower educations than urban residents. The goal of this study was to explore differencesin the community and consumer level food environments between two Nevadageographies. Evidence was sought to test the hypotheses of venue density, theavailability and quality of produce, and the price difference between standard andhealthy items between rural and urban Nevada geographies. A cross-sectional studytook place through direct quantitative and descriptive data collection in two rural Nevadacounties and two urban census tracts in Las Vegas, NV. A Kruskal–Wallis, Mann–Whitney and a Bonferroni correction were performed on the quantitative store audit datato compare produce availability and quality scores, and the price differences betweenstandard and healthy items between geographies. Primary data show a greater percapita density of grocery and convenience venues in the rural area than the urban. Agreater percapita density of fast-food venues was found in the urban sample area. Thevariety and quality of produce in the rural grocer venues were lower than the urbansupermarkets. No significant or functional price difference was found between thestandard and healthier versions of select items within commonly purchased food groups,between rural and urban geographies