Table 2. Characteristics of 179 Rural Food Desert and Urban Nonfood Desert Customers in 9 Corner Stores, North Carolina, 2011.
| Characteristic | Total Value (n = 179) | Urban Customers (n = 80) | Rural Customers (n = 99) | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age, y (SD) | 42.2 (15.8) | 35.1 (14.1) | 47.9 (14.9) | <.001 |
| Mean (SD) number of household members (including children) | 3.1 (14) | 3.1 (1.5) | 3.0 (1.4) | .84 |
| Mean (SD) number of children younger than 12 | 0.7 (1.0) | 0.8 (1.0) | 0.5 (0.9) | .05 |
| Mean (SD) number of minutes participants live from corner store | 7.6 (9.5) | 7.8 (9.8) | 7.5 (9.3) | .84 |
| Mean (SD) servings of fruit eaten by participants in the past 24 hours | 1.9 (1.6) | 1.9 (1.6) | 1.8 (1.6) | .60 |
| Mean (SD) servings of vegetables eaten by participants in the past 24 hours | 1.7 (1.3) | 1.6 (1.3) | 1.8 (1.3) | .25 |
| Sex, % | ||||
| Female | 38.6 | 43.8 | 34.3 | .20 |
| Male | 61.5 | 56.3 | 65.7 | |
| Race, % | ||||
| African American | 56.2 | 68.8 | 45.9 | .002 |
| White | 37.6 | 23.8 | 49.0 | |
| Other | 6.2 | 7.5 | 5.1 | |
| WIC, % | 8.4 | 11.3 | 6.1 | .21 |
| SNAP, % | 33.5 | 43.8 | 25.3 | .009 |
| “I eat enough fruits and vegetables everyday,” % yes | 55.3 | 51.3 | 58.6 | .33 |
| Reasons why participants do not eat more fruits and vegetables, % yes | ||||
| I like to eat other foods more | 21.2 | 28.8 | 15.2 | .03 |
| Fruits and vegetables are too expensive | 8.9 | 10.0 | 8.1 | .66 |
| I don’t know how to prepare them | 1.7 | 2.5 | 1.0 | .33 |
| I don’t have time to prepare them | 10.6 | 13.8 | 8.1 | .22 |
| The stores where I do most of my shopping don’t sell them | 3.9 | 2.5 | 5.1 | .22 |
| They are of poor quality at the stores where I do most of my shopping | 1.7 | 1.3 | 2.0 | .41 |
| Other | 11.7 | 11.3 | 12.1 | .85 |
Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation; WIC, Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.