(P24-121-23) Impacts of COVID-19 on Food Purchasing: Perspectives from Corner Store Customers Living in Healthy Food Priority Areas of Baltimore City, Maryland

Objectives: There are over 600 corner stores in Baltimore City, Maryland, with the majority located in Healthy Food Priority Areas (HFPAs) where healthy food accessibility is low. Baltimore City has a food insecurity prevalence above the national average which was further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for under-resourced populations in HFPAs. However, little is understood about the post-pandemic lived experiences of corner store customers in HPFAs in Baltimore City. This sub-study of the Baltimore Urban food Distribution (BUD) intervention trial seeks to understand corner store customers’ perspectives on how COVID-19 has shaped food availability and purchasing behaviors in their community food environments.

Methods: Data are being collected through an online Adult Impact Questionnaire (AIQ) using Qualtrics. Eligible respondents who frequently shop at a corner store in their community are asked two open-ended questions: 1) “Can you tell us about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted you, how and where you shop, and what foods you shop for?” and 2) “Do you think the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how people in your community shop for food and how stores in your community sell food?”.

Results: As of February 2023, 30 percent of survey respondents (N=39) reported increased prices of staple food items following COVID-19. Most respondents noted a change in their own shopping patterns, including buying fewer “gourmet” items and purchasing food items from online platforms, although 13 percent of respondents did not report seeing substantial changes in the food purchasing of others in their community. Survey responses will continue to be collected and analyzed for key themes until July 2023.

Conclusions: As the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to impact the food system, Baltimore City corner store customers highlight increased food costs and other personal experiences associated with the pandemic that may help to inform effective and acceptable strategies for BUD and other future food environment interventions in similar urban settings.

Funding Sources: NHLBI, NIH, award number R34HL145368