The Impact of Food Deserts on Local Residents’ Food Choices and Nutrition Intake

This study analyzed the effects of population, economic, and social factors on individuals’ food choice and intake, focusing on those of ‘Food Deserts’. Results showed that the presence of ‘Food Deserts’, along with age, gender, number of household members, education level, dietary education, and household income significantly affected food selection and consumption behavior. To mitigate and/or address the problems, we proposed strengthening education related to diet, improving food stability through Food Voucher projects and facilitating participation from the private sector, and improving transportation accessibility. At the same time, it is required to establish a foundation for regularly identifying the distribution of food deserts.