Relationship Between BMI and Food Purchases in Low-Income, Urban African American Adult Carry-Out Customers

Carry-outs are an important source of calorically dense foods in low-income urban neighborhoods. However, little is known about how customer body mass index (BMI) relates to purchasing behavior. A random sample of 184 adult carry-out customers was surveyed on frequency of visits, demographic information, and purchases made over the prior week at 8 carry-outs. This information was used to determine healthy food purchasing scores. BMI was negatively associated with purchasing a healthy side dish (β = -0.052, P =.025) and positively associated with purchasing a healthy drink (β = 0.051, P =.022), adjusting for age, sex, education, and employment. Based on these findings, efforts could be made to improve the food environment by increasing promotion of these healthier options.