Evaluation of Residents’ Shopping Environments in a Remote Area

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the shopping environments of local people in a remote rural area. Specifically, we assessed shopping environments using food access, the healthy eating indicator shopping basket (HEISB) measure, and local people’s living conditions using interview/questionnaire surveys. The study area was the town of X, which is in a mountainous agricultural and fishing area in western Japan. This town has a serious problem with a declining birth rate and aging population as well as a lack of grocery stores. We found that because of the large proportion of older people who drive, their self-sufficiency in obtaining many types of fresh food, and mutual assistance from other residents, many local people have maintained their diet at a satisfactory level. However, more than 70% of local people still have poor eating habits, entailing a high risk of malnutrition. In addition, many local grocery stores show low food availability rates according to the HEISB, which means that it is difficult for older people who do not drive to maintain healthy eating habits. Moreover, mobile vending vehicle services in this area are usually unsuccessful. Declining birth rates and aging populations are expected to become more serious in the near future in rural areas, including in X. There is thus a concern that it will become very difficult to maintain the living environment, including shopping facilities, in this town. Specific measures to maintain the living environments in such rural areas should be examined and possible countermeasures considered.