A community's built environment plays a tremendous role in the well-being of its members. Access to grocery stores, affordable healthy food options, or a surplus in cheap fast food can significantly affect the health of the individuals living in that area. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between food deserts and the health of communities of color in Miami-Dade county. We used data from existing databases, MiamiDadeMatters.org and the United States Department of Agriculture food map, to gather the demographics, food insecurity index, and obesity rates of each zip code in Miami-dade county. We ran statistical tests to measure the relationships between our variables and found that communities of color are disproportionately affected by food deserts compared to predominantly white communities. As zip codes' food insecurity increased so did obesity rates. Zipcodes with high percentages of black residents had a significant positive correlation with obesity rate, whereas zip codes with high percentages of white populations had a significant negative correlation with obesity rates. These findings reflect the significant systemic disadvantage communities of color experience regarding food access and their health. This study can be used to address this disparity in policymaking and community advocacy initiatives.
