Studying the Perceived local food environment through individual spatial cognition analysis: a case study in Madrid (Spain)

In this study we aimed to assess how the residents’ cognitive space determines the perceived food environment in a in a low-income Madrid neighborhood. . We conducted our analyses with 6 women aged 40-75 residents of this... [ view full abstract ]

In this study we aimed to assess how the residents’ cognitive space determines the perceived food environment in a in a low-income Madrid neighborhood. . We conducted our analyses with 6 women aged 40-75 residents of this area. We asked participants to draw sketch maps and gathered additional qualitative data from a Photovoice Project (interviews, questionnaires and photography) in order to complement cognitive representations.

Geographic Information Systems provide new ways and techniques to analyze how people perceive their neighborhood, allowing also the integration of qualitative and quantitative data for our analysis. We performed a bi-dimensional regression analysis in order to compare sketch maps with actual maps in order to quantify deformations in cognitive representations. The results were complemented with the assessment of the form and size of the representations using qualitative and quantitative techniques. Analyzing the residence location in the representations constitutes another important point in this study in order to explain the perceived proximity and accessibility to acquire healthy food in their neighborhood.

As a result, we observed that people conceived their neighborhood as a very small area (0.176 km2), underlying the fact that our study area are strongly fragmented. Sketch maps collected present simple forms. The different store types and bars represent a high percent of edges in the representation, showing a problematic lack of neighborhood identity. Our participants perceived a great availability of food stores in their neighborhood, not necessarily carrying healthy option though. ”Economic crisis”, “hygiene conditions” and “cultural diversity” were highlighted by participants as topics with a major influence on their food environment. Also, they complained about the loss of traditional markets, considered as important socialization places with a personal touch in customer service.