Team 6

STA 199 Project Abstract

Abstract

Due to food deserts, individuals do not have stable or convenient access to grocery stores that contain healthy, fresh foods. The nearest markets are too far for consistent trips. In order to understand which populations are more likely to be affected by food deserts throughout the United States, but specifically in North Carolina, we analyzed the correlation between population density and food insecurity. Variables included distance from the nearest market, population size, and number of low-access individuals. Through data visualizations such as state maps, violin, and bar plots, we observed proportions of low-access individuals within the U.S. and specific states. We determined that more densely populated areas trend toward an increased proximity to food markets and fit a linear regression model, but found that a negative exponential relationship would be better suited to describe the trend.