(P35-12-26) Comparing Regular Customers at Baltimore City Public Markets and Independently Owned Restaurants in Low-Income Urban Neighborhoods

Objectives: Public markets are non-profit spaces with diverse vendors selling affordable food and crafts. Baltimore City has 6 public markets with more than 50 carryout restaurants. As indoor social spaces, Baltimore’s public markets offer unique opportunities for educational and environmental interventions. However, little is known about how regular customers of public markets compare to those who regularly purchase prepared foods from independently owned restaurants in low-income urban settings.

Methods: The Focus on Restaurants Engagement to Strengthen Health (FRESH) study collected data from regular customers at 9 restaurants in four public markets (RPM) and at 9 restaurants not located in public markets (RNPM). Restaurants were selected in neighborhoods that were predominantly African American ( >80%) and low-income ( >15% of population below the poverty level). 185 regular customers (adults 18+ years, ate at restaurant 1+x/week) were recruited. Demographics (race, age, educational attainment, employment status, household income), food assistance program participation (SNAP, WIC, school breakfast/lunch), self-efficacy, food security (using USDA’s Household Food Security Survey Module), and health data (blood pressure (BP), Veggie Meter (VM)) were collected. Age, BP, and VM readings were compared using a Welch two sample t-test. The remaining analyses used Fisher’s exact test. All tests were completed using R-studio.

Results: Regular customers at RPM (n=116) tended to be older (55 years old vs. 48.5 years old, 95% CI: 2.95 to 10.94; p=0.003), African American (p < 0.001), low-income (p = 0.048), less educated (p < 0.001), and have higher rates of unemployment or be retired (p=0.03) than those sampled at RNPM (n=69). The average VM reading for customers from RPM versus RNPM was 194.5 and 235.6, respectively (95% CI: -67.66 to -14.46; p = 0.003). More customers from RNPM agreed with the statement “I can look at a restaurant menu and identify fruit or vegetables (excluding potatoes) as a side dish” (p=0.041). No differences were found with BP, food assistance, or food security.

Conclusions: Data suggests that Baltimore’s public markets are used by more underserved populations than non-public-market restaurants, suggesting they should be utilized as a strategic location for broader health promotion efforts.

Funding Sources: National Institutes of Health