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National Cancer Center Analyzes 250 Districts Nationwide
Higher Convenience Store Density Linked to Increased Hypertension Prevalence

It has been found that areas with a high concentration of convenience stores tend to have a higher prevalence of hypertension. The research team analyzed that a food environment centered around convenience stores may be linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases among local residents.

An AI-generated image of a person buying items at a convenience store

Recently, a research team at the National Cancer Center published a paper in the international journal Frontiers in Public Health, reporting that their analysis of 250 administrative districts across the country found hypertension rates were higher in regions with a higher density of convenience stores.

Obesity and hypertension are major risk factors for non-communicable diseases worldwide. In addition to personal lifestyle factors such as smoking, drinking, lack of physical activity, and eating habits, environmental influences also play a role.

In particular, a diet high in processed foods that are rich in calories, sodium, fat, and sugar is considered a significant risk factor for both obesity and hypertension. Accordingly, there has been growing interest not only in individual eating habits but also in how 'food environments'—such as the accessibility and variety of available food—affect the risk of chronic diseases.

In Korea, an increase in single-person households, greater workforce participation, and the growth of the food service industry have led to increased dependence on dining out, processed foods, and ready-to-eat meals. In this context, convenience stores have evolved from being just supplementary retail shops to becoming major sources for food purchases. High accessibility, extended operating hours, and a wide range of relatively inexpensive processed foods make them especially appealing to busy urban dwellers.

According to Statistics Korea, the number of convenience stores in the country increased by 31% in three years—from 43,975 locations in 2019 to 57,617 in 2022.

This transformation may also affect public health. A large proportion of foods sold in convenience stores are ultra-processed items high in calories and sodium, but relatively low in essential nutrients.

The research team investigated the distribution of convenience store density, obesity prevalence, and hypertension prevalence across 250 administrative districts nationwide, using geographic information systems (GIS) to analyze spatial relationships. Convenience store density was calculated as the number of stores per 1,000 residents. They also adjusted for various health-related factors such as age, gender, income, education level, smoking, drinking, and physical activity.

Even after adjusting for spatial autocorrelation across regions, the analysis showed a statistically significant association between convenience store density and hypertension prevalence. The average density of convenience stores by region was 1.12 per 1,000 residents. The average prevalence rates for obesity and hypertension were 30.98% and 22.76%, respectively.

The research team estimated that for each additional convenience store per 1,000 residents, the prevalence of hypertension in that region increased by an average of 0.968%.

The team explained that these findings suggest the local food environment could be an important factor in understanding regional differences in hypertension prevalence. However, they cautioned that convenience store density cannot be said to directly cause hypertension, and further research is needed to identify the specific pathways of influence.

The research team recommended, "From a policy perspective, the nutritional quality of foods sold in convenience stores should be improved, and there should be a wider range of low-sodium and healthy choices. Additionally, it may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases to provide clearer nutritional information at the point of purchase so consumers can make more informed decisions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.