Date of Award
5-2024
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Program
Urban Studies
Department
Planning and Urban Studies
Major Professor
Michelle Thompson
Second Advisor
David Gladstone
Third Advisor
Ryan Seidemann
Abstract
Access to fresh, healthy, and nutritious food has been a challenge in certain U.S. neighborhoods, worsening the public health crisis of obesity and diet-related diseases that have persisted since the 1970s. Access to fresh, healthy, nutritious food varies across geographical areas, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, and races. People have different levels of resources, resulting in varying access to fresh and healthy food. Also, addressing the issue of obesity can be achieved through ensuring that built environments offer convenient access to fresh and healthy food. Most of the research on food access has focused solely on area-based measures using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Still, these approaches do not capture individual preferences, decision-making, or education regarding health. This dissertation used a mixed-method approach, grounded theory, and GIS to explore how the built environment impacts residents' quality of life when looking at food access in two neighborhoods in New Orleans. The researcher then gathered the opinions of neighborhood residents about their food journeys by examining their purchasing choices and perceptions of the most efficient ways to increase access to healthy foods in their neighborhoods. The results of this study revealed that cognitive, environmental, and social factors characterize the individual's pursuit of well-being, and there are similarities in the contrasting environments of food and non-food deserts.
Recommended Citation
Fleischer Djoleto, Florence, "Built Environment Implications on Food Access: A Comparative Study of Two Neighborhoods in New Orleans" (2024). University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations. 3177.
https://scholarworks.uno.edu/td/3177
Rights
The University of New Orleans and its agents retain the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible this dissertation or thesis in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The author retains all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation.