Compared to Distribution

an indicator guage with the arrow in the green the value is in the best half of communities.

an indicator guage with the arrow in the yellow the value is in the 2nd worst quarter of communities.

an indicator guage with the arrow in the red the value is in the worst quarter of communities.

Compared to Target

green circle with white tick inside it meets target; red circle with white cross inside it does not meet target.

Compared to a Single Value

green diamond with downward arrow inside it lower than the comparison value; red diamond with downward arrow inside it higher than the comparison value; blue diamond with downward arrow inside it not statistically different from comparison value.

Trend

green square outline with upward trending arrow inside it green square outline with downward trending arrow inside it non-significant change over time; green square with upward trending arrow inside it green square with downward trending arrow inside it significant change over time; blue square with equals sign no change over time.

Compared to Prior Value

green triangle with upward trending arrow inside it higher than the previous measurement period; green triangle with downward trending arrow inside it lower than the previous measurement period; blue equals sign no statistically different change from previous measurement period.

green chart bars Significantly better than the overall value

red chart bars Significantly worse than the overall value

light blue chart bars No significant difference with the overall value

gray chart bars No data on significance available

Food Environment Index

State: Illinois

Measurement Period: 2024

The food environment index combines two measures of food access: the percentage of the population that is low-income and has low access to a grocery store, and the percentage of the population that did not have access to a reliable source of food during the past year (food insecurity). The index ranges from 0 (worst) to 10 (best) and equally weights the two measures.

Why is this important?

A lack of access to healthy foods is often a significant barrier to healthy eating habits. Low-income and underserved areas often have limited numbers of stores that sell healthy foods. People living farther away from grocery stores are less likely to access healthy food options on a regular basis and thus more likely to consume foods which are readily available at convenience stores and fast food outlets. Food insecurity, defined as limited availability or uncertain ability to access nutritionally adequate foods, is associated with chronic health problems including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and mental health issues including major depression.

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