Allison Karpyn

University of Delaware | UDel UD · Center for Research in Education and Social Policy

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) participants faced unprecedented challenges during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic including financial concerns, a national infant formula shortage, and rising food costs. To mitigate these challenges, the United States Department of Agriculture implement...

This review identifies the most promising intervention strategies for promoting the purchase and consumption of healthier items within U.S. grocery retail settings, with a particular focus on those strategies that may be most effective when implemented within SNAP-authorized retail settings. Searches of nine electronic databases, as well as forward...

Recent changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Cash-Value Benefit (CVB), which provides participants with money to spend on fruits and vegetables, have the potential to reduce disparities in healthy food access and food insecurity that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few studi...

Objective: Despite evidence that social support is beneficial for people living with opioid use disorders (OUDs), research has yet to investigate whether social support within certain relationships is more or less effective. The current study examined whether social support, relationship closeness with a disclosure partner, and/or the history of j...

Disparities in healthy food access and consumption are a major public health concern. This study reports the findings from a two-year randomized control trial conducted at 77 farmers’ markets (FMs) in 13 states and the District of Columbia that sought to understand the impact of fruit and vegetable (FV) incentive vouchers, randomly issued at varied...

Purchasing, consumption, and health data from 3,073 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Shoppers (SNAP) at 77 U.S. farmers’ markets (FMs) are reported. Descriptive and bivariate analyses indicate SNAP households spent $345/month on all groceries and $153.76/month on all fruit and vegetable (FV) purchases; daily FV consumption significantly co...

(1) Background: Despite considerable efforts to increase farmers’ market access (FM) and improve household fruit and vegetable (FV) purchasing in low-income communities, little is known about the FV purchasing and consumption characteristics of low-income Hispanic farmers’ market shoppers. (2) Methods: A secondary analysis of baseline data from a f...

Introduction Methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone medications are among the most effective treatment options for opioid use disorders, yet many people remain misinformed about their benefits and hold negative perceptions about the use of medications to treat opioid use disorders. Such perceptions, especially negative perceptions based on misinforma...

Objective In 2019, California and Wilmington, Delaware implemented policies requiring healthier default beverages with restaurant kids’ meals. This study assessed restaurant beverage offerings and manager perceptions. Design Pre-post menu observations were conducted in California and Wilmington. Observations of cashiers/servers during orders were...

The food retail environment has been directly linked to disparities in dietary behaviors and may in part explain racial and ethnic disparities in pregnancy-related deaths. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), administered by the United States Department of Agriculture, is associated with improved healthy...

Identifying effective strategies to promote healthy eating and reduce obesity is a priority in the USA, especially among low-income and minority groups, who often have less access to healthy food and higher rates of obesity. Efforts to improve food access have led to more supermarkets in low-income, ethnically diverse neighborhoods. However, this a...

There is increasing understanding that stigma associated with poverty, race, nationality, gender, obesity, and other intersecting, socially devalued characteristics is a key social determinant of health that plays a role in food inequities; yet, the processes linking stigma with food inequities are poorly defined. Building on prior conceptual and e...

The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been linked to obesity, diabetes, and other negative health outcomes among children. In response, many government entities have enacted healthy default beverage policies that require restaurants offering bundled kids’ meals—food and drink items combined and sold as a single unit—to include onl...

This review examines current research on manipulations of U.S. food retail environments to promote healthier food purchasing and consumption. Studies reviewed use marketing strategies defined as the 4Ps (product, price, placement, promotion) to examine results based on single-and multi-component interventions by study design, outcome, and which of...

The objective of this study was to assess consumers' ability to correctly identify different types of milk in a blind taste test and correlates of plans to purchase lower fat milk. Adults from 8 supermarkets in low-income neighborhoods tasted 3 types of unlabeled lower fat or fat-free milk samples and guessed the type of each sample. Of the 1074 pa...

The food environment is well documented as an important emphasis for public health intervention. While theoretical models of the relationship between the food environment and dietary outcomes have been proposed, empirical testing of conceptual models has been limited. The purpose of this study was to explore which factors in nutrition environments...

Background Understanding the most important elements of nutrition environments that affect eating behaviors can inform public health nutrition policy and programs Conceptual models depict interrelationships between these elements. However, empirical testing of conceptual models of nutrition environments and eating behaviors has been limited. The pu...

Background: Despite United Nations’ recommendations to monitor food insecurity using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), to date there are no published reports of its validity for the Bahamas, nor have prevalence rates of moderate or severe food insecurity been reported for the nation. At the same time, food security is a deep concern, wit...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a multifaceted, collaborative approach to supermarket environmental change which included in-store couponing and educational marketing to increase low-fat milk purchasing across a 48-store supermarket chain serving predominately Hispanic customers. Point-of-sale (POS) and process data collected during the 1...

Objective The primary objectives of the study were to examine: 1) how increased availability of healthier items at a zoo concession stand affects sales and 2) how animal character marketing on zoo menu boards affects sales revenue. Methods An intervention was conducted over an 8-week period. On alternating weeks, zoo animal characters were systema...

As our state and nation face increasingly tight program budgets and more limited funding sources, collaboration has come to the forefront as a critical mechanism to promote health and well-being. The Collective Impact framework is an emerging approach to guide larger scale changes at a community or regional level. Through the establishment of 5 cor...

Food and Public Health is an easy to read text that helps students understand the history of modern issues in public health nutrition and health promotion. The book’s chapters include practical real-world applications and cases, which serve as examples for extension activities. For instructors, the text offers discussion and writing prompts for eac...

Objective: In response to recent national efforts to increase the availability of healthy food in small stores, we sought to understand the extent to which small food stores could implement the newly published Healthy Small Store Minimum Stocking Recommendations and reflect on the new US Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service's final...

Recent efforts to improve the quality and availability of scientific research in education, coupled with increased expectations for the use of research in practice, demand new ways of thinking about connections between research and practice. The conceptual framework presented in this paper argues that increasing research in educational decision-mak...

Purpose: To develop a valid and feasible short-form corner store audit tool (SCAT) that could be used in-store or over the phone to capture the healthfulness of corner stores. Design: Nonexperimental. Setting: Four New Jersey cities. Subjects: Random selection of 229 and 96 corner stores in rounds 1 and 2, respectively. Measures: An adapte...

In order to address the pervasive trend of underconsumption of fruits and vegetables among children, we examined the hypothesis that children would be more likely to select fruits (apple slices, bananas, and oranges) and vegetables (baby carrots) when paired with animal cartoon image than when available without the character image. Tested in a rand...

Introduction Urban corner store interventions have been implemented to improve access to and promote purchase of healthy foods. However, the perspectives of store owners and managers, who deliver and shape these interventions in collaboration with nonprofit, government, and academic partners, have been largely overlooked. We sought to explore the v...

In response to lack of access to healthy foods, many low-income communities are instituting local healthy corner store programs. Some stores also participate in the United States Department of Agriculture's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This st...

Introduction Compared to supermarkets, small/corner stores tend to stock lower proportions of healthy foods. Interventions targeting corner stores to increase healthy foods have been launched in many communities, and validated survey instruments have been developed to evaluate intervention effectiveness. However, in‐store evaluations can be infeasi...

Introduction In response to residents’ lack of access to healthy foods, many low‐income communities are instituting local healthy corner store programs. Some stores also participate in the United States Department of Agriculture's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance...

Supermarkets are a primary source of food for American households, and increased presence in low-income, high-minority neighborhoods present opportunities to increase access to healthy foods. It is important to assess store manager and customer reactions to in-store marketing interventions. The objective was to evaluate manager and customer reactio...

There is a direct connection between the level of education and public health. Policy makers from these two fields should collaborate to press for education improvements that would ultimately result in better public health.

There is growing interest in the use of physical activity and nutrition environmental measures by both researchers and practitioners. Built environment assessment methods and tools range from simple to complex and encompass perceived, observed, and geographic data collection. Even though challenges in tool selection and use may exist for non-resear...

Assessments of access to healthful food frequently use GIS to measure the distance and concentration of food outlets relative to where residents live. These descriptive approaches do not account for food shopping behavior, which may vary based on the attributes of food shoppers and their activity space-places where they live, work, access resources...

To respond to the high prevalence of obesity and its associated health consequences, recent food research and policy have focused on neighborhood food environments, especially the links between health and retail mix, proximity of food outlets, and types of foods available. In addition, the social environment exerts important influences on food-rela...

INTRODUCTION: The New Orleans Fresh Food Retailer Initiative was launched in 2011 to expand healthy food access, create jobs, and revitalize communities. This $14 million innovative public-private financing program supports healthy food retail development in low-income, underserved areas by providing loans and forgivable debt to eligible projects....

INTRODUCTION:Concession stands are notoriously a place where families by their “peanuts and crackerjacks” or a hot dog at the game, however the management, upkeep and operational structure are rarely top of mind for shoppers. For community members though, how the operator is selected, how contracts are developed, where revenues flow and how mainten...

INTRODUCTION The disparity in neighborhood food retail environments that exists in low-income communities throughout California is alarming since those who live near full-service grocery stores are more likely to eat recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables and are less likely to become obese. The California Endowment’s California FreshWorks Fu...

Objective: To explore shoppers' responses to the taste of different types of cow's milk in a blind taste test and to examine their willingness to purchase lower-fat milk as part of an in-store marketing intervention. Design: Participants were recruited on-site in the supermarket to participate in a blind taste test of three varieties of cow's mi...

There is limited research documenting the shopping behaviors of urban residents with regard to where they shop for fruits and vegetables. This study sought to: (1) describe characteristics of consumers who shop for produce at supermarkets, alternative fresh food outlets, and farmers' markets; and (2) identify correlates of farmers' market shopping...

The greater presence of supermarkets in low-income, high-minority neighborhoods has the potential to positively affect diet quality among those at greatest risk of obesity. In-store marketing strategies that draw attention to healthier products may be effective, sustainable, and scalable for improving diet quality and health. Few controlled studies...

Public health obesity prevention experts have recently emphasized a policy systems and environmental change approach. Absent, however, are studies describing how practitioners transition from policy adoption to implementation. In the realm of food policy, financing programs to incentivize healthy food retail development in communities classified as...

To document implementation challenges and opportunities associated with small store interventions. Case study analysis of small store interventions conducted in 4 regions of the US. We systematically generated matrices to compare and contrast lessons learned to advance implementation science. Seven thematic areas were identified including: establis...

Background Previous research has shown differences in adult physical activity (PA) levels by race/ethnicity, sex and age. We aimed to determine whether those differences existed within urban population, in what types of activities they participated, and where they were active. Methods: A sample of 514 urban Philadelphia adult residents was surveyed...

INTRODUCTION: Nationally, there is growing interest in understanding the role that corner stores play in the diets of nearby residents. However, there are few objective data or systems to collect this type of information from stores. Corner stores tend be informal, cash-based operations. Stores cannot report reliable, detailed sales or inventory in...

Food environments may promote or undermine healthy behaviors, but questions remain regarding how individuals interact with their local food environments. This study incorporated an urban food environment audit as well as an examination of residents' food shopping behaviors within that context. In 2010, the research team audited the variety and heal...

An emerging body of research examines the health and economic impacts of healthy corner store interventions, although implementing valid mechanisms to capture changes in diet remains a challenge. Healthy corner store interventions employ strategies to help corner stores procure, maintain and market healthier foods such as fruits and vegetables, who...

Objective: To describe the methodology used to develop a community-campus partnership to recruit and engage control participants in a childhood obesity project targeting Mexican origin communities. Description: Overview of the Community Based Partici-patory Research (CBPR) methodology utilized in NSFS to develop activities for the participants in t...

Research on the impact of the built environment on obesity and access to healthful foods often fails to incorporate information about how individuals interact with their environment. A sample of 198 low-income WIC recipients from two urban neighborhoods were interviewed about where they do their food shopping and surveys were conducted of food stor...

Results: The majority of 4 th - 6 th grade urban students shopped in corners stores either in the morning (57.4%) or in the afternoon (58.5%). Nearly half (44.8%) reported shopping and purchasing in both the morning and the afternoon. Children reported spending approximately $2.00 per corner store visit. Approximately two-thirds of children reporte...

There is limited published research about the dietary impacts of farmers' markets. We sought to understand whether market managers collect data about markets and to examine the instruments and strategies used. Of the 359 market managers contacted across the United States, representing 543 markets, 185 managers participated in a telephone survey. A...

The prevalence of obesity is higher in racial/ethnic minority populations compared to non-Hispanic whites. Recently, a substantial body of literature has focused on understanding the role of the retail food environment in shaping racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in obesity risk. Compared to predominately white neighborhoods, retail foo...

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (formerly Food Stamp Program) participants can use their benefits at many farmers' markets. However, most markets have only one market-operated wireless point-of-sale (POS) card swipe terminal for electronic benefits transfer (EBT) transactions. It is not known whether providing each farmer/vendor wi...

To evaluate the impact of the 2009 food package changes for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) on the availability of healthful food. Survey of all food stores in the study area before and after the changes were implemented. Two low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia, 1 predominantly African-American...

The term "food desert" was formally introduced into the lexicon in 1995 and has come to describe areas with limited access to affordable nutritious foods, particularly areas in lower-income neighborhoods. The definition has led to the development of national and regional maps that focus efforts on equity in food access. Recognition of food deserts...

INTRODUCTION: Previous evaluations of the effect of farmers' markets on food purchases, consumption and preferences have relied on customer surveys at markets and are therefore subject to bias. In this study, we use a pre-post design and a household sample to rigorously assess the impact of a new farmers' market in a low-income community in Philade...

In communities that lack supermarkets, families depend on corner stores for food purchases. The choices at these stores are often limited to packaged foods with few healthy options. In partnership with the Philadelphia Department of Public Health as part of Communities Putting Prevention to Work, The Food Trust's Healthy Corner Store Initiative is...

The development of farmers markets is a strategy of public health agencies and communities for improving health, yet recent publications point to the limited research about the nutritional and health impacts of farmers markets. To understand if farmers markets routinely collect information about their markets, how data are collected, and the natu...

Farmers' markets are an increasing priority for communities and health advocates. They contribute to the health of community members and the economic livelihood of small farms. Despite increasing recognition of the positive impact that farmers' markets have in revitalizing communities, relatively little is published on strategies that sustain marke...

Many farmers' markets are interested in improving access to fresh produce for SNAP (food stamp) participants by adding electronic benefits transfer (EBT) capabilities at the market. Evaluating the impact of new EBT capabilities on SNAP/EBT sales in a rigorous way is a critical but often overlooked component of EBT projects. In this study, we review...

Background: Obesity and overweight in youth populations have become overwhelmingly prolific in the US. The prevalence of obesity in youth has tripled in the past thirty years and affects 31.9% of youth. Prevalence is higher in lower-income populations. National and local funding efforts have targeted obesity prevention in youth. Purpose: Modeled af...

Farmers' markets are an increasing priority for communities and health advocates. They contribute to the health of community members and the economic livelihood of small farms. Despite increasing recognition of the positive impact that farmers' markets have in revitalizing communities, relatively little is published on strategies that sustain marke...

In 2001 the Food Trust, a nonprofit organization committed to ensuring access to affordable nutritious food, focused attention on the lack of access to healthy foods in Philadelphia by creating a campaign to draw attention to the problem. The campaign led to the creation of a statewide initiative that to date has funded seventy-eight fresh food out...

Corner stores are part of the urban food environment that may contribute to obesity and diet-related diseases, particularly for low-income and minority children. The snack foods available in corner stores may be a particularly important aspect of an urban child's food environment. Unfortunately, there is little data on exactly what snack foods corn...

In 2001 the Food Trust, a nonprofit organization committed to ensuring access to affordable, nutritious food, focused attention on the lack of access to healthy foods in Philadelphia by creating food access maps and convening a task force. The campaign led to the creation of a statewide initiative that to date has funded seventy-eight fresh food ou...

Background: The Healthy Times program supports school health newspapers written and illustrated by students in grades 3 to 8. Healthy Times expanded to 10 elementary schools in the Philadelphia region during 2007-2008. Topics include healthy snacking, exercise, hand-washing, stress management, sleep and smoking dangers. Purpose: The program seeks...

Background As part of a natural experiment to evaluate the impact of the WIC voucher changes that will go into effect in October 2009, we collected baseline information about the food environment and food purchases of WIC participants in two predominantly low-income areas in North Philadelphia. One of the areas is predominantly African-American;...

Childhood obesity is higher among ethnic minorities. One reason may be the limited access to affordable, healthy options. The disparate prevalence of urban corner stores in low-income and high-minority communities has been well documented. There are no data, however, on what children purchase in these environments before and after school. The purpo...

Cardiovascular disease mortality rates have fallen by ≈50% over the past 50 to 60 years. However, cardiovascular disease prevalence remains high, and cardiovascular disease is still the leading cause of death and disability in the United States.1,2 It has been estimated that preventive efforts have contributed to at least half of this decline, with...

Diet and physical activity are important factors in the etiology, prevention, and treatment of chronic diseases such as obesity and its associated comorbidities. Accurate measures of diet and activity are critical in understanding how these lifestyle and behavioral factors covary to affect health status. The purpose of this study was to investigate...

The issue of access to healthy foods has been central to the work of many community-based organizations around the country. One such organization, The Food Trust, launched an effective advocacy campaign to bring awareness and policy change to the issue. The Food Trust's efforts with its partners resulted in the creation of the Pennsylvania Fresh Fo...

The prevalence and seriousness of childhood obesity has prompted calls for broad public health solutions that reach beyond clinic settings. Schools are ideal settings for population-based interventions to address obesity. The purpose of this work was to examine the effects of a multicomponent, School Nutrition Policy Initiative on the prevention of...