Relation of Living in a “Food Desert” to Recurrent Hospitalizations in Patients With Heart Failure

Food deserts (FD), low-income areas with low access to healthful foods, are associated with higher burden of cardiovascular risk factors. Few studies have examined the impact of FD on clinical outcomes in heart failure (HF). FD status was assessed in 457 HF patients (mean age 55.9 ± 12.5 years; 50.3% Black) using the Food Desert Research Atlas. The Andersen-Gill extension of Cox model was used to examine the association of living in a FD with risk of repeat hospitalization (all-cause and HF-specific). Patients living in a FD were younger (p = 0.01), more likely to be Black (p