TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessing mobile food vendors (a.k.a. street food vendors)-methods, challenges, and lessons learned for future food-environment research
AU - Lucan, S. C.
AU - Varona, M.
AU - Maroko, A. R.
AU - Bumol, J.
AU - Torrens, L.
AU - Wylie-Rosett, J.
N1 - Funding Information:
This publication was made possible by the CTSA Grant UL1 RR025750 , KL2 RR025749 , and TL1 RR025748 from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) . Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official view of the NCRR or NIH. Student research assistants received a stipend through the Bronx Center to Reduce and Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities (BxCREED).
PY - 2013/8
Y1 - 2013/8
N2 - Objectives: Mobile food vendors (also known as street food vendors) may be important sources of food, particularly in minority and low-income communities. Unfortunately, there are no good data sources on where, when, or what vendors sell. The lack of a published assessment method may contribute to the relative exclusion of mobile food vendors from existing food-environment research. A goal of this study was to develop, pilot, and refine a method to assess mobile food vendors. Study design: Cross-sectional assessment of mobile food vendors through direct observations and brief interviews. Methods: Using printed maps, investigators canvassed all streets in Bronx County, NY (excluding highways but including entrance and exit ramps) in 2010, looking for mobile food vendors. For each vendor identified, researchers recorded a unique identifier, the vendor's location, and direct observations. Investigators also recorded vendors answers to where, when, and what they sold. Results: Of 372 identified vendors, 38% did not answer brief-interview questions (19% were 'in transit', 15% refused; others were absent from their carts/trucks/stands or with customers). About 7% of vendors who ultimately answered questions were reluctant to engage with researchers. Some vendors expressed concerns about regulatory authority; only 34% of vendors had visible permits or licenses and many vendors had improvised illegitimate-appearing set-ups. The majority of vendors (75% of those responding) felt most comfortable speaking Spanish; 5% preferred other non-English languages. Nearly a third of vendors changed selling locations (streets, neighbourhoods, boroughs) day-to-day or even within a given day. There was considerable variability in times (hours, days, months) in which vendors reported doing business; for 86% of vendors, weather was a deciding factor. Conclusions: Mobile food vendors have a variable and fluid presence in an urban environment. Variability in hours and locations, having most comfort with languages other than English, and reluctance to interact with individuals gathering data are principal challenges to assessment. Strategies to address assessment challenges that emerged form this project may help make mobile-vendor assessments more routine in food-environment research.
AB - Objectives: Mobile food vendors (also known as street food vendors) may be important sources of food, particularly in minority and low-income communities. Unfortunately, there are no good data sources on where, when, or what vendors sell. The lack of a published assessment method may contribute to the relative exclusion of mobile food vendors from existing food-environment research. A goal of this study was to develop, pilot, and refine a method to assess mobile food vendors. Study design: Cross-sectional assessment of mobile food vendors through direct observations and brief interviews. Methods: Using printed maps, investigators canvassed all streets in Bronx County, NY (excluding highways but including entrance and exit ramps) in 2010, looking for mobile food vendors. For each vendor identified, researchers recorded a unique identifier, the vendor's location, and direct observations. Investigators also recorded vendors answers to where, when, and what they sold. Results: Of 372 identified vendors, 38% did not answer brief-interview questions (19% were 'in transit', 15% refused; others were absent from their carts/trucks/stands or with customers). About 7% of vendors who ultimately answered questions were reluctant to engage with researchers. Some vendors expressed concerns about regulatory authority; only 34% of vendors had visible permits or licenses and many vendors had improvised illegitimate-appearing set-ups. The majority of vendors (75% of those responding) felt most comfortable speaking Spanish; 5% preferred other non-English languages. Nearly a third of vendors changed selling locations (streets, neighbourhoods, boroughs) day-to-day or even within a given day. There was considerable variability in times (hours, days, months) in which vendors reported doing business; for 86% of vendors, weather was a deciding factor. Conclusions: Mobile food vendors have a variable and fluid presence in an urban environment. Variability in hours and locations, having most comfort with languages other than English, and reluctance to interact with individuals gathering data are principal challenges to assessment. Strategies to address assessment challenges that emerged form this project may help make mobile-vendor assessments more routine in food-environment research.
KW - Food environment
KW - Immigrant workers
KW - Measurement/Assessment
KW - Mobile food vendors/Street vendors/Street foods/Food carts
KW - Urban/New York City/Bronx
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84883236448&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84883236448&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.puhe.2013.05.006
DO - 10.1016/j.puhe.2013.05.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 23891280
AN - SCOPUS:84883236448
SN - 0033-3506
VL - 127
SP - 766
EP - 776
JO - Public Health
JF - Public Health
IS - 8
ER -
