Research

Adherence

High cost, limited transportation, and poor quality/variety of fresh produce act as primary community-level barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption in low-income populations, thereby increasing obesity risk.

For low-income individuals, buying healthy food is often blocked by price and access, not just choice. To eat more fruits and vegetables, look for community programs that subsidize produce, visit farmers markets or flea markets for better variety and price, and prioritize stores that display fresh produce well. If transportation is an issue, carpooling or using community resources to access better stores may be necessary.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
We identified 6 major community-level barriers affecting access to fruit and vegetables: cost, transportation, quality, variety, changing food environment, and changing societal norms.
Lindsey Haynes‐Maslow et al. · Preventing Chronic Disease · 2013

Why this rating

Qualitative study with small sample size (N=68) and narrow geographic location (NC), limiting generalizability.

Source

A Qualitative Study of Perceived Barriers to Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Low-Income Populations, North Carolina, 2011

Lindsey Haynes‐Maslow et al. · Preventing Chronic Disease · 2013

DOI 10.5888/pcd10.120206

case_series · n=68Cited 182×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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