Specific Aims

1. To identify the differences in the food choice processes of residents in Princeton, New Jersey versus Trenton, New Jersey. 

This will be done through conducting a combination of interviews and surveys with representative samples of residents in both communities. The surveys will consist of questions regarding the respondents’ food choice process, and interviews will be conducted, as necessary, to gain a better sense of the food choice process of Princetonians and Trentonians.

 

2. To determine whether differences in the food choice processes correlate with differences in diet in both communities.

 In addition to the survey data collected in aim 1, I will collect purchasing data from the managers of popular grocery stores in either neighborhood. Purchasing data will be used to determine the average diet in both communities. I will compare and contrast the food choice processes and diets in both communities to accomplish this second aim.

 

3. To determine whether any differences in diet are associated with different health outcomes in the two communities. 

I will conduct nutritional analyses of the diets using the USDA Food Data Central Tool and see if they potentially explain differences in health outcomes for the two communities. I will mainly be looking at the average fat and sugar consumption rates, as foods high in fat and sugar lead to obesity and diabetes, however I am not restricting my search to only levels of fat and sugar.