An economic analysis of community-level fast food prices and individual-level fast food intake: A longitudinal study

BackgroundWhile dietary intake is shaped by cost, there is minimal research on the association between community-level food prices and dietary intake.MethodsWe used nationally representative, longitudinal data to examine how community-level food price variation was associated with individual-level fast food intake by race/ethnicity and income across waves II (1996) and III (2001–2002) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n=11,088) from 158 baseline and 363 follow-up US counties.ResultsNegative binomial regression models predicting the number of fast food meals per week show strong relationships between fast food consumption and prices of fast food and soda that varied by gender and race/ethnicity. We found relatively stronger association between food prices and fast food intake for males and relatively greater price sensitivity for soda versus burgers. In the group with strongest associations (black males), a 20% increase in the price of soda was associated with a decrease of 0.25 visits to a fast food restaurant per week.ConclusionsEconomic incentives may be an effective mechanism to address fast food intake in an age group at high risk for obesity.

► There are few longitudinal studies that link community-level food prices with dietary intake. ► Prices of fast food were inversely associated with fast food intake. ► Price sensitivity varied by gender and race/ethnicity. ► Economic incentives may be an effective mechanism to address fast food intake.