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Ganasegeran K, Abdul Manaf MR, Safian N, Waller LA, Abdul Maulud KN, Mustapha FI. GIS-Based Assessments of Neighborhood Food Environments and Chronic Conditions: An Overview of Methodologies. Annu Rev Public Health 2024; 45:109-132. [PMID: 38061019 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-101322-031206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
The industrial revolution and urbanization fundamentally restructured populations' living circumstances, often with poor impacts on health. As an example, unhealthy food establishments may concentrate in some neighborhoods and, mediated by social and commercial drivers, increase local health risks. To understand the connections between neighborhood food environments and public health, researchers often use geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial statistics to analyze place-based evidence, but such tools require careful application and interpretation. In this article, we summarize the factors shaping neighborhood health in relation to local food environments and outline the use of GIS methodologies to assess associations between the two. We provide an overview of available data sources, analytical approaches, and their strengths and weaknesses. We postulate next steps in GIS integration with forecasting, prediction, and simulation measures to frame implications for local health policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurubaran Ganasegeran
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; ,
- Clinical Research Center, Seberang Jaya Hospital, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Rizal Abdul Manaf
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; ,
| | - Nazarudin Safian
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; ,
| | - Lance A Waller
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Khairul Nizam Abdul Maulud
- Earth Observation Centre (EOC), Institute of Climate Change, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
- Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Feisul Idzwan Mustapha
- Public Health Division, Perak State Health Department, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Perak, Malaysia
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Cao Y, Yang JA, Nara A, Jankowska MM. Designing and Evaluating a Hierarchical Framework for Matching Food Outlets across Multi-sourced Geospatial Datasets: a Case Study of San Diego County. J Urban Health 2024; 101:155-169. [PMID: 38167974 PMCID: PMC10897078 DOI: 10.1007/s11524-023-00817-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Research on retail food environment (RFE) relies on data availability and accuracy. However, the discrepancies in RFE datasets may lead to imprecision when measuring association with health outcomes. In this research, we present a two-tier hierarchical point of interest (POI) matching framework to compare and triangulate food outlets across multiple geospatial data sources. Two matching parameters were used including the geodesic distance between businesses and the similarity of business names according to Levenshtein distance (LD) and Double Metaphone (DM). Sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine thresholds of matching parameters. Our Tier 1 matching used more restricted parameters to generate high confidence-matched POIs, whereas in Tier 2 we opted for relaxed matching parameters and applied a weighted multi-attribute model on the previously unmatched records. Our case study in San Diego County, California used government, commercial, and crowdsourced data and returned 20.2% matched records from Tier 1 and 18.6% matched from Tier 2. Our manual validation shows a 100% matching rate for Tier 1 and up to 30.6% for Tier 2. Matched and unmatched records from Tier 1 were further analyzed for spatial patterns and categorical differences. Our hierarchical POI matching framework generated highly confident food POIs by conflating datasets and identified some food POIs that are unique to specific data sources. Triangulating RFE data can reduce uncertain and invalid POI listings when representing food environment using multiple data sources. Studies investigating associations between food environment and health outcomes may benefit from improved quality of RFE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanjia Cao
- Department of Geography, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.
| | - Jiue-An Yang
- Department of Population Sciences, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Atsushi Nara
- Department of Geography, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Marta M Jankowska
- Department of Population Sciences, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
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Uhlmann K, Ross H, Buckley L, Lin BB. Food in my life: How Australian adolescents perceive and experience their foodscape. Appetite 2023; 190:107034. [PMID: 37690618 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.107034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Food choice has long been recognized as an interaction between psychological, social, cultural, economic, and biological forces through life course events and experiences. Adolescence is a particularly sensitive life stage during which personal and external environments influence food decisions and attitudes that can have long-term implications. Young people represent future households, yet little is understood about their perspectives on, and experiences of, their foodscape. To address this, a photovoice study with thirty-two students was undertaken at three state high schools with differing foodscapes in South East Queensland (Australia). Adolescent perspectives on foodscapes highlighted the food in front of them (either common or favourite foods), food routines, their emotional relationship with food, and the important role that family has in shaping their relationship with food (in particular mothers). Adolescents demonstrated an astute awareness of healthy/good and unhealthy/bad foods in relation to ingredients, ways of eating and different types of foods. Yet they expressed noticeable confusion on this matter, referring to some foods as "healthy-ish", or describing a "balanced" diet as consuming something healthy followed by something unhealthy. We found that adolescents are inundated by discretionary foods on a daily basis, however, are not particularly cognisant of them. These findings have direct implications for preventative health messages targeting adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kora Uhlmann
- School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, The University of Queensland, Hartley Teakle Building, St Lucia QLD 4067, Australia; School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, 266 Herston Rd, Herston QLD 4006, Australia.
| | - Helen Ross
- School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, The University of Queensland, Hartley Teakle Building, St Lucia QLD 4067, Australia
| | - Lisa Buckley
- School of Public Health, The University of Queensland, 266 Herston Rd, Herston QLD 4006, Australia
| | - Brenda B Lin
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Environment GPO Box 2583, Brisbane QLD 4001, Australia
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Lyu W, Seok N, Chen X, Xu R. Using Crowdsourced Food Image Data for Assessing Restaurant Nutrition Environment: A Validation Study. Nutrients 2023; 15:4287. [PMID: 37836570 PMCID: PMC10574450 DOI: 10.3390/nu15194287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Crowdsourced online food images, when combined with food image recognition technologies, have the potential to offer a cost-effective and scalable solution for the assessment of the restaurant nutrition environment. While previous research has explored this approach and validated the accuracy of food image recognition technologies, much remains unknown about the validity of crowdsourced food images as the primary data source for large-scale assessments. In this paper, we collect data from multiple sources and comprehensively examine the validity of using crowdsourced food images for assessing the restaurant nutrition environment in the Greater Hartford region. Our results indicate that while crowdsourced food images are useful in terms of the initial assessment of restaurant nutrition quality and the identification of popular food items, they are subject to selection bias on multiple levels and do not fully represent the restaurant nutrition quality or customers' dietary behaviors. If employed, the food image data must be supplemented with alternative data sources, such as field surveys, store audits, and commercial data, to offer a more representative assessment of the restaurant nutrition environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weixuan Lyu
- Department of Geography, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; (W.L.); (X.C.)
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA;
| | - Nina Seok
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA;
| | - Xiang Chen
- Department of Geography, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; (W.L.); (X.C.)
| | - Ran Xu
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA;
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Ferdinands AR, Brown JA, Nielsen CC, Nykiforuk CIJ, Raine KD. What counts? Adding nuance to retail food environment measurement tools in a Canadian context. Public Health Nutr 2023; 26:1326-1337. [PMID: 37073692 PMCID: PMC10346037 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980023000733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Limitations of traditional geospatial measures, like the modified Retail Food Environment Index (mRFEI), are well documented. In response, we aimed to: (1) extend existing food environment measures by inductively developing subcategories to increase the granularity of healthy v. less healthy food retailers; (2) establish replicable coding processes and procedures; and (3) demonstrate how a food retailer codebook and database can be used in healthy public policy advocacy. DESIGN We expanded the mRFEI measure such that 'healthy' food retailers included grocery stores, supermarkets, hypermarkets, wholesalers, bulk food stores, produce outlets, butchers, delis, fish and seafood shops, juice/smoothie bars, and fresh and healthy quick-service retailers; and 'less healthy' food retailers included fast-food restaurants, convenience stores, coffee shops, dollar stores, pharmacies, bubble tea restaurants, candy stores, frozen dessert restaurants, bakeries, and food trucks. Based on 2021 government food premise licences, we used geographic information systems software to evaluate spatial accessibility of healthy and less healthy food retailers across census tracts and in proximity to schools, calculating differences between the traditional v. expanded mRFEI. SETTING Calgary and Edmonton, Canada. PARTICIPANTS N/A. RESULTS Of the 10 828 food retailers geocoded, 26 % were included using traditional mRFEI measures, while 53 % were included using our expanded categorisation. Changes in mean mRFEI across census tracts were minimal, but the healthfulness of food environments surrounding schools significantly decreased. CONCLUSIONS Overall, we show how our mRFEI adaptation, and transparent reporting on its use, can promote more nuanced and comprehensive food environment assessments to better support local research, policy and practice innovations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexa Rae Ferdinands
- School of Public Health; 3-300 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405 – 87 Ave, University of Alberta, EdmontonT6G 1C9, AB, Canada
| | - Jennifer Ann Brown
- School of Public Health; 3-300 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405 – 87 Ave, University of Alberta, EdmontonT6G 1C9, AB, Canada
| | - Charlene C Nielsen
- School of Public Health; 3-300 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405 – 87 Ave, University of Alberta, EdmontonT6G 1C9, AB, Canada
| | - Candace IJ Nykiforuk
- School of Public Health; 3-300 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405 – 87 Ave, University of Alberta, EdmontonT6G 1C9, AB, Canada
| | - Kim D Raine
- School of Public Health; 3-300 Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, 11405 – 87 Ave, University of Alberta, EdmontonT6G 1C9, AB, Canada
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Coyle DH, Sanavio L, Barrett E, Huang L, Law KK, Nanayakkara P, Hodgson JM, O’Connell M, Meggitt B, Tsai C, Pettigrew S, Wu JHY. A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of the Food Environment at an Australian University Campus. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15071623. [PMID: 37049463 PMCID: PMC10097222 DOI: 10.3390/nu15071623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
University food environments have a strong influence on the dietary choices of students and staff. The aim of this study was to assess the food environment at a large university in Sydney, Australia. Data were collected between March and July 2022 from 27 fixed food outlets and 24 vending machines. The healthiness of the food environment was evaluated using the Healthy Food and Drink in NSW Health Facilities for Staff and Visitors Framework (‘Framework’), which assesses food environment parameters including the availability, placement, and promotion of ‘Everyday’ (healthy) and ‘Occasional’ (less healthy) products. Each parameter was evaluated overall and across each food outlet type. Across all outlets, Everyday foods and drinks made up 43.9% of all products. Only two outlets met the Framework’s product availability benchmark of ≥75% Everyday foods and drinks. A total of 43 outlets (84.3%) sold sugary drinks as part of their product range. Occasional products made up 68.4%, 53.3%, and 59.9% of all items for sale at checkout areas, countertops, and eye-level shelves, respectively. Finally, 79.7% of meal deals included Occasional products. Our findings highlight the need to improve the availability, placement, and promotion of foods and drinks sold at a major university campus in Sydney, Australia.
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Roy R, Liu JY. Do products from healthier vending machines on a university campus sell? JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH : J OF ACH 2022; 70:1964-1967. [PMID: 33258735 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2020.1846043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
ObjectiveThis is a cross-sectional study that compares the sales of "healthy" and "unhealthy" vending machines following the introduction of healthier vending machines on a university campus. Method: Healthy ("green" and "amber" category), competitively priced snacks and beverages in vending machines (n = 4) called Grab Goodness were placed alongside standard vending machines (n = 11). The monthly sales data from all vending machines were captured electronically for 20 months. Results: Assortment of snacks and beverages offered by standard vending machines were of low nutritional quality, with only 16% of all products categorized as "green." The new Grab Goodness machines accounted for 28% of all vending machine purchases over 20 months, and 50% of all products purchased through these machines were "green" category items. Conclusions: The purchases of healthier snack options demonstrate encouraging patterns that support more nutritious and healthy alternatives in vending machines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajshri Roy
- Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, The University of Auckland, Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jing-Yuan Liu
- Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, The University of Auckland, Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand
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Zhang M, Zhang N, Zhou M, Ma G. Association between neighborhood food environment and dietary diversity score among older people in Beijing, China: A cross-sectional study. Front Nutr 2022; 9:903214. [PMID: 36211503 PMCID: PMC9534378 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.903214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To examine the association between the neighborhood food environment and dietary diversity score (DDS) among elderly people in China. Methods Participants were recruited from 12 communities in Beijing, China, in 2019, using a multi-stage stratified random sampling method. Participants (n = 1,764, 730 men) in this study were elderly people aged 65 to 80. A questionnaire survey was used to investigate the intake of various foods in the past 3 days, and their dietary diversity score (DDS) was calculated. Baidu Map Application Programming Interface was used to measure the neighborhood food environments, including the density of and proximity to different food outlets. Adjusted multiple linear regression was performed to estimate the association between the neighborhood food environment and DDS. Results A total of 1,800 questionnaires were distributed, and 1,775 questionnaires were returned. The questionnaire response rate was 98.6%. Among them, the number of valid questionnaires was 1,764, and the valid rate was 99.4%. The mean age of the participants was 69.7 ± 4.3, and the average DDS was 7.2 ± 1.4. Among the three types of stores, convenience stores had the best access, followed by greengrocers, and finally supermarkets. Sit-down restaurants had the nearest walking distance, Chinese fast-food restaurants had the largest number, and western fast-food restaurants were the most difficult to access. Better access to supermarkets tended to be associated with higher DDS score within all the buffer zones (250 m buffer zone: β = 0.495, P < 0.001; 500 m buffer zone: β = 0.341, P < 0.001; 800 m buffer zone: β = 0.163, P < 0.001; 1,000 m buffer zone: β = 0.243, P < 0.001). However, greengrocers were negatively associated with DDS score within all the buffer zones (250 m buffer zone: β = −0.475, P < 0.001; 500 m buffer zone: β = −0.161, P < 0.001; 800 m buffer zone: β = −0.090, P < 0.001; 1000 m buffer zone: β = −0.112, P < 0.001). As for convenience stores, we only found significant results within the 250 m buffer zone (β = 0.075, P = 0.002). Among the three types of restaurants, the results were inconsistent within different buffer zones. Sit-down restaurants were negatively associated with DDS score within 250 m buffer zone (β = −0.257, P < 0.001), and positively associated with DDS score within 1,000 m buffer zone (β = 0.018, P < 0.001). Living in areas with more Chinese fast-food restaurants tended to have higher DDS within 250 m buffer zone (β = 0.357, P < 0.001); however, there was a opposite result within 1,000 m buffer zone (β = −0.044, P < 0.001). Better access to western fast-food restaurants tended to be associated with lower DDS score within 500 m buffer zone (β = −0.235, P < 0.001) and higher DDS score within 1,000 m buffer zone (β = 0.189, P < 0.001). There was a negative correlation between the nearest distance to the supermarket and the DDS score (β = −0.002, P < 0.001), and the nearest distance to the greengrocer was directly positively correlated with the DDS score (β = 0.004, P < 0.001). Conclusion This study suggests that supermarkets may increase the DDS score among older adults in Beijing, while greengrocers may reduce the DDS score. However, the current results are not strong enough to draw specific conclusions. Policymakers need to rely on more evidence to make specific policy recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Zhang
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Na Zhang
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Mingzhu Zhou
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Guansheng Ma
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Laboratory of Toxicological Research and Risk Assessment for Food Safety, Peking University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Guansheng Ma
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Retail food environment in a Brazilian metropolis over the course of a decade: evidence of restricted availability of healthy foods. Public Health Nutr 2022; 25:2584-2592. [PMID: 35343411 PMCID: PMC9991744 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980022000787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate changes in the retail food environment profile in a Brazilian metropolis over a 10-year period. DESIGN An ecological study was conducted in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The addresses of formal food establishments were geocoded and classified according to their sold-food profile. Density changes were analysed according to neighbourhood, population size, income level and geospatial distribution. SETTING Totally, 468 neighbourhoods in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS Totally, 83 752 formal food establishments registered for operation in any one or more of those years: 2008, 2011, 2015 and 2018. RESULTS There was an increase in unhealthy establishments (154 %), followed by mixed (51 %) and healthy establishments (32 %), during the period evaluated, in addition to an increase in density according to income categories. There was a higher proportion of unhealthy establishments in relation to healthy establishments, indicating worsening of the community food environment over time. CONCLUSIONS Over the course of 10 years, changes in the neighbourhood's food environment were unfavourable for adequate access to healthy foods in lower-income neighbourhoods. The findings reinforce the need for interventions aimed at increasing the availability of businesses that offer healthy food in the city.
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Mo J, Luo J, Hendryx M. Food Environment and Colorectal Cancer Incidence and Mortality Rates. JOURNAL OF HUNGER & ENVIRONMENTAL NUTRITION 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/19320248.2021.1893243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Mo
- Department of Medicine, Health, and Society, College of Arts and Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Juhua Luo
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Michael Hendryx
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
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de Albuquerque FM, Pessoa MC, De Santis Filgueiras M, Gardone DS, de Novaes JF. Retail food outlets and metabolic syndrome: a systematic review of longitudinal studies. Nutr Rev 2022; 80:1599-1618. [PMID: 35182145 DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuab111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
CONTEXT The community food environment covers the type, quantity, density, location, and access to retail food outlets, and its influence on eating behavior, obesity, and metabolic syndrome has been investigated. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the evidence on longitudinal associations between objectively measured retail food outlets and metabolic syndrome components in children, adolescents, and adults. DATA EXTRACTION This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. DATA SOURCES The Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, Scielo, PubMed, MEDLINE, and Lilacs databases were searched without any restriction on publication dates. DATA ANALYSIS Of the 18 longitudinal studies included, significant associations were reported in 9 between retail food outlets and metabolic syndrome components in adults (6 positive associations, 2 negative, and 1 both positive and negative), and in 3 studies of children and adolescents (2 negative associations and 1 both positive and negative). Six studies with adults found no association. CONCLUSION Limited evidence was found for longitudinal associations between retail food outlets and metabolic syndrome components. In future studies, researchers should consider the use of standardized retail food outlet measurements and accurate analysis to better understand the influence of the community food environment on metabolic syndrome. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION PROSPERO registration no: CRD42020177137.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Milene Cristine Pessoa
- Department of Nutrition, Nursing School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Danielle Soares Gardone
- Department of Nutrition, Nursing School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Juliana Farias de Novaes
- Department of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Althoff T, Nilforoshan H, Hua J, Leskovec J. Large-scale diet tracking data reveal disparate associations between food environment and diet. Nat Commun 2022; 13:267. [PMID: 35042849 PMCID: PMC8766578 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27522-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
An unhealthy diet is a major risk factor for chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer1-4. Limited access to healthy food options may contribute to unhealthy diets5,6. Studying diets is challenging, typically restricted to small sample sizes, single locations, and non-uniform design across studies, and has led to mixed results on the impact of the food environment7-23. Here we leverage smartphones to track diet health, operationalized through the self-reported consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, fast food and soda, as well as body-mass index status in a country-wide observational study of 1,164,926 U.S. participants (MyFitnessPal app users) and 2.3 billion food entries to study the independent contributions of fast food and grocery store access, income and education to diet health outcomes. This study constitutes the largest nationwide study examining the relationship between the food environment and diet to date. We find that higher access to grocery stores, lower access to fast food, higher income and college education are independently associated with higher consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, lower consumption of fast food and soda, and lower likelihood of being affected by overweight and obesity. However, these associations vary significantly across zip codes with predominantly Black, Hispanic or white populations. For instance, high grocery store access has a significantly larger association with higher fruit and vegetable consumption in zip codes with predominantly Hispanic populations (7.4% difference) and Black populations (10.2% difference) in contrast to zip codes with predominantly white populations (1.7% difference). Policy targeted at improving food access, income and education may increase healthy eating, but intervention allocation may need to be optimized for specific subpopulations and locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Althoff
- Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Hamed Nilforoshan
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Jenna Hua
- Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Million Marker Wellness Inc., San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jure Leskovec
- Department of Computer Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Rodríguez DEF, Moraes MLD. Spatial influence on qualitative food consumption in Colombia. CIENCIA & SAUDE COLETIVA 2021; 26:6165-6174. [PMID: 34910007 DOI: 10.1590/1413-812320212612.25702020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial location is a factor that may facilitate the consumption of processed foods due to the ease of access, especially in highly urbanized, high density populations. This study presents the differences in food consumption in populations with different densities and urban and rural characteristics, and income above and below ten dollars a day. A sample of 2,130 subjects was used from 9 populations that included the Capital of Colombia, outlying medium-sized municipalities, metropolitan-area municipalities and small villages. The results confirm that processed and ultra-processed foods are consumed more in cities and urban areas than in smaller and rural populations, and that there are differences in consumption generated by income.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana E Forero Rodríguez
- Escuela de Administración de Empresas y Contaduría Pública, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Carrera 30 No 45 03. Bogotá D.C. Colombia.
| | - Milena Lima de Moraes
- Departamento de Nutrición Humana, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Bogotá D.C. Colombia
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Viet SM, Dellarco M, Chen E, McDade T, Faustman E, Brachvogel S, Smith M, Wright R. Recommendations for Assessment of Environmental Exposures in Longitudinal Life Course Studies Such as the National Children's Study. Front Pediatr 2021; 9:629487. [PMID: 33996684 PMCID: PMC8116497 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2021.629487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
An important step toward understanding the relationship between the environment and child health and development is the comprehensive cataloging of external environmental factors that may modify health and development over the life course. Our understanding of the environmental influences on health is growing increasingly complex. Significant key questions exist as to what genes, environment, and life stage mean to defining normal variations and altered developmental trajectories throughout the life course and also across generations. With the rapid advances in genetic technology came large-scale genomic studies to search for the genetic etiology of complex diseases. While genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed genetic factors and networks that advance our understanding to some extent, it is increasingly recognized that disease causation is largely non-genetic and reflects interactions between an individual's genetic susceptibility and his or her environment. Thus, the full promise of the human genome project to prevent or treat disease and promote good health arguably depends on a commitment to understanding the interactions between our environment and our genetic makeup and requires a design with prospective environmental data collection that considers critical windows of susceptibility that likely correspond to the expression of specific genes and gene pathways. Unlike the genome, which is static, relevant exposures as well as our response to exposures, change over time. This has fostered the complementary concept of the exposome ideally defined as the measure of all exposures of an individual over a lifetime and how those exposures relate to health. The exposome framework considers multiple external exposures (e.g., chemical, social) and behaviors that may modify exposures (e.g., diet), as well as consequences of environmental exposures indexed via biomarkers of physiological response or measures of behavioral response throughout the lifespan. The exposome concept can be applied in prospective developmental studies such as the National Children's Study (NCS) with the practical understanding that even a partial characterization will bring major advances to health. Lessons learned from the NCS provide an important opportunity to inform future studies that can leverage these evolving paradigms in elucidating the role of environment on health across the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Dellarco
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Edith Chen
- Department of Pscychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Thomas McDade
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | | | | | - Marissa Smith
- University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Rosalind Wright
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai School, New York, NY, United States
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Rosales Chavez JB, Bruening M, Ohri-Vachaspati P, Lee RE, Jehn M. Street Food Stand Availability, Density, and Distribution Across Income Levels in Mexico City. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:3953. [PMID: 33918669 PMCID: PMC8069716 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18083953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Street food stands (SFS) are an understudied element of the food environment. Previous SFS studies have not used a rigorous approach to document the availability, density, and distribution of SFS across neighborhood income levels and points of access in Mexico City. A random sample (n = 761) of street segments representing 20 low-, middle-, and high-income neighborhoods were assessed using geographic information system (GIS) and ground-truthing methods. All three income levels contained SFS. However, SFS availability and density were higher in middle-income neighborhoods. The distribution of SFS showed that SFS were most often found near homes, transportation centers, and worksites. SFS availability near schools may have been limited by local school policies. Additional studies are needed to further document relationships between SFS availability, density, and distribution, and current structures and processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose B. Rosales Chavez
- School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University, 975 S. Myrtle Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Meg Bruening
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, 550 N. 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA; (M.B.); (P.O.-V.)
| | - Punam Ohri-Vachaspati
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, 550 N. 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA; (M.B.); (P.O.-V.)
| | - Rebecca E. Lee
- Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Edson College of Nursing & Health Innovation, Arizona State University, 502 N. 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA;
| | - Megan Jehn
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA;
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Kelly C, Callaghan M, Gabhainn SN. 'It's Hard to Make Good Choices and It Costs More': Adolescents' Perception of the External School Food Environment. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13041043. [PMID: 33804848 PMCID: PMC8063803 DOI: 10.3390/nu13041043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on the impact of school and community food environments on adolescent food choice is heavily reliant on objective rather than subjective measures of food outlets around schools and homes. Gaining the perspective of adolescents and how they perceive and use food environments is needed. The aim of this study was to explore adolescent’s perception and use of the food environment surrounding their schools. Purposive sampling was used to recruit schools. Mapping exercises and discussion groups were facilitated with 95 adolescents from six schools. Thematic analysis showed that adolescents are not loyal to particular shops but are attracted to outlets with price discounts, those with ‘deli’ counters and sweets. Cost, convenience and choice are key factors influencing preference for food outlets and foods. Quality, variety and health were important factors for adolescents but these features, especially affordable healthy food, were hard to find. Social factors such as spending time with friends is also an important feature of food environments that deserves further attention. Adolescents’ perceptions of their food environment provide insights into features that can be manipulated to enable healthy choices.
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Zerafati-Shoae N, Taghdisi MH, Azadbakht L, Sharif Nia H, Aryaeian N. Defining and Developing Measures of Checklist for Measuring Food Store Environment: A Systematic Review. IRANIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 50:480-491. [PMID: 34178795 PMCID: PMC8214622 DOI: 10.18502/ijph.v50i3.5588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Background: Food store measurement is important for planners and policy makers to improve unhealthy stores towards healthy stores. This review aimed to outline the concepts and measures development of checklists that assess food store environment in urban communities. Methods: The search was carried out in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus as well as reference lists of included studies for obtaining published articles between 1990 up to the date of search (30 June 2017). Eligibility criteria attempted to capture peer-reviewed articles aimed at development and validation of checklists for assessing food stores. Results: From 3,862 records, 24 studies were included in this review. Findings showed constructs included in the instruments were availability (n=22); price (n=22); quality of fresh foods (n=13); promotion (n=6); product placement (n=6); advertisement (n=5); shelf space (n=3); display (n=3); store features or characteristics (n=2); marketing (n=2); accessibility; nutrition information; visibility; food variety; signage. There are differences on the conceptual definition of each constructs across the checklists. Only half of studies pursued fully systematic steps for the measures development. Conclusion: Consensus for definition of constructs of food store measurement is necessary. Besides, the development of the measures of checklists needs to be done by high-quality methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nahid Zerafati-Shoae
- Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Taghdisi
- Department of Health Education and Promotion, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Leila Azadbakht
- Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Sharif Nia
- Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Naheed Aryaeian
- Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Research Center for Environmental Health Technology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Tan SB, Arcaya M. Where we eat is who we are: a survey of food-related travel patterns to Singapore's hawker centers, food courts and coffee shops. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2020; 17:132. [PMID: 33081793 PMCID: PMC7574174 DOI: 10.1186/s12966-020-01031-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The development of empirically-grounded policies to change the obesogenic nature of urban environment has been impeded by limited, inconclusive evidence of the link between food environments, dietary behaviors, and health-related outcomes, in part due to inconsistent methods of classifying and analyzing food environments. This study explores how individual and built environment characteristics may be associated with how far and long people travel to food venues,that can serve as a starting point for further policy-oriented research to develop a more nuanced, context-specific delineations of ‘food environments’ in an urban Asian context. Methods Five hundred twenty nine diners in eight different neighborhoods in Singapore were surveyed about how far and long they travelled to their meal venues, and by what mode. We then examined how respondents’ food-related travel differed by socioeconomic characteristics, as well as objectively-measured built environment characteristics at travel origin and destination, using linear regression models. Results Low-income individuals expended more time traveling to meal destinations than high-income individuals, largely because they utilized slower modes like walking rather than driving. Those travelling from areas with high food outlet density travelled shorter distances and times than those from food-sparse areas, while those seeking meals away from their home and work anchor points had lower thresholds for travel. Respondents also travelled longer distances to food-dense locations, compared to food-sparse locations. Conclusion Those seeking to improve food environments of poor individuals should consider studying an intervention radius pegged to typical walking distances, or ways to improve their transport options as a starting point. Policy-focused research on food environments should also be sensitive to locational characteristics, such as food outlet densities and land use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin Bin Tan
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, 02139, MA, USA. .,Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, 469C Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore, 259772, Singapore.
| | - Mariana Arcaya
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, 02139, MA, USA
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Association between Neighborhood Food Environment and Body Mass Index among Older Adults in Beijing, China: A Cross-Sectional Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17207658. [PMID: 33092232 PMCID: PMC7589694 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17207658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between the neighborhood food environment and body mass index (BMI) among Chinese older adults. METHODS A multi-stage stratified random sampling method was used to recruit participants from 12 communities in Beijing, China, in 2019. Participants (n = 1764, 1034 women) in this study were older adults aged 65 to 80. We collected the participants' basic information, measured their height and weight, and calculated their BMI. Neighborhood food environments were measured by the density of and proximity to different food outlets using the Baidu Map Application Programming Interface. Adjusted multiple linear regression was performed to estimate the association between the food environment and BMI. RESULTS Participants had a mean age of 69.7 ± 4.32 years old and an average BMI of 26.3 ± 3.50 kg/m2. Among the three types of stores, convenience stores had the easiest access, followed by greengrocers and supermarkets. Sit-down restaurants had the best access among different restaurants, followed by Chinese fast-food restaurants, and western fast-food restaurants had the worst access. Easier access to greengrocers (β = 0.281, p < 0.001) and sit-down restaurants (β = 0.304, p < 0.001) was associated with higher BMI in the 250 m buffer zone. More supermarkets were associated with higher BMI in the 500 m buffer zone (β = 0.593, p < 0.001). Access to convenience stores was positively associated with BMI in the 800 m buffer zone (β = 0.057, p < 0.001). Better access to Chinese fast-food restaurants was associated with higher BMI (β = 0.071, p = 0.001), and better access to western fast- food restaurants was associated with lower BMI (β = -0.400, p < 0.001) in the 1000 m buffer zone. There was a negative association between the nearest distance to greengrocers and BMI (β = -0.004, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Although we found some significant associations between the neighborhood food environment and obesity, the current results are not strong enough to draw specific conclusions. Policymakers will need to rely on more evidence to derive concrete policy recommendations.
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Abstract
Objective: To rigorously develop a tool which enables rapid yet comprehensive appraisal of the consumer food retail environment and provision of real-time feedback to store managers and owners, based on the ‘4Ps’ principles of marketing. Design: Multi-stage iterative approach including (1) Systematic literature review; (2) Stakeholder consultation; (3) Assessment of existing tools against identified needs; (4) Tool development; (5) Pilot testing and (6) Transition of tool to mobile application (the Store Scout app). Setting: Northern Territory, Australia. Participants: Nine remote Aboriginal community food stores; public health nutritionists, retailers, store board directors, Aboriginal community members, government representatives. Results: Forty-seven existing tools and thirty-four stakeholder interviews informed the development of the current instrument, which comprised: (1) seven product categories (Fruit & Vegetables, Drinks, Snack Foods, Meals & Convenience Foods, Meat & Seafood, Dairy & Eggs, Breads & Cereals) across the ‘4Ps’ (Product, Placement, Price, Promotion); (2) Store manager questions about context and perceived importance of key principles about the store environment and (3) a scoring and feedback component. The tool was considered feasible and acceptable by all testers. Conclusions: The developed tool addresses an unmet need to measure the consumer food retail environment across all 4Ps whilst also incorporating manager perspectives and immediate feedback. Our objectives of developing a comprehensive, feasible and acceptable instrument were achieved during pilot testing. The tool will support implementation of best practice within stores to encourage healthy food choices and has potential for broad application in retail settings locally and internationally, as well as for research purposes.
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21
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Kids in a Candy Store: An Objective Analysis of Children's Interactions with Food in Convenience Stores. Nutrients 2020; 12:nu12072143. [PMID: 32708485 PMCID: PMC7400802 DOI: 10.3390/nu12072143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing rates of childhood obesity worldwide has focused attention on the obesogenic food environment. This paper reports an analysis of children's interactions with food in convenience stores. Kids'Cam was a cross-sectional study conducted from July 2014 to June 2015 in New Zealand in which 168 randomly selected children aged 11-14 years old wore a wearable camera for a 4-day period. In this ancillary study, images from children who visited a convenience store were manually coded for food and drink availability. Twenty-two percent of children (n = 37) visited convenience stores on 62 occasions during the 4-day data collection period. Noncore items dominated the food and drinks available to children at a rate of 8.3 to 1 (means were 300 noncore and 36 core, respectively). The food and drinks marketed in-store were overwhelmingly noncore and promoted using accessible placement, price offers, product packaging, and signage. Most of the 70 items purchased by children were noncore foods or drinks (94.6%), and all of the purchased food or drink subsequently consumed was noncore. This research highlights convenience stores as a key source of unhealthy food and drink for children, and policies are needed to reduce the role of convenience stores in the obesogenic food environment.
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Green MA, Pradeilles R, Laar A, Osei-Kwasi H, Bricas N, Coleman N, Klomegah S, Wanjohi MN, Tandoh A, Akparibo R, Aryeetey RNO, Griffiths P, Kimani-Murage EW, Mensah K, Muthuri S, Zotor F, Holdsworth M. Investigating foods and beverages sold and advertised in deprived urban neighbourhoods in Ghana and Kenya: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2020; 10:e035680. [PMID: 32595155 PMCID: PMC7322322 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to characterise the local foods and beverages sold and advertised in three deprived urban African neighbourhoods. DESIGN Cross-sectional observational study. We undertook an audit of all food outlets (outlet type and food sold) and food advertisements. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise exposures. Latent class analysis was used to explore the interactions between food advertisements, food outlet types and food type availability. SETTING Three deprived neighbourhoods in African cities: Jamestown in Accra, Ho Dome in Ho (both Ghana) and Makadara in Nairobi (Kenya). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Types of foods and beverages sold and/or advertised. RESULTS Jamestown (80.5%) and Makadara (70.9%) were dominated by informal vendors. There was a wide diversity of foods, with high availability of healthy (eg, staples, vegetables) and unhealthy foods (eg, processed/fried foods, sugar-sweetened beverages). Almost half of all advertisements were for sugar-sweetened beverages (48.3%), with higher exposure to alcohol adverts compared with other items as well (28.5%). We identified five latent classes which demonstrated the clustering of healthier foods in informal outlets, and unhealthy foods in formal outlets. CONCLUSION Our study presents one of the most detailed geospatial exploration of the urban food environment in Africa. The high exposure of sugar-sweetened beverages and alcohol both available and advertised represent changing urban food environments. The concentration of unhealthy foods and beverages in formal outlets and advertisements of unhealthy products may offer important policy opportunities for regulation and action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Alan Green
- Department of Geography & Planning, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Rebecca Pradeilles
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | - Amos Laar
- Department of Population, Family & Reproductive Health, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | | | | | - Nathaniel Coleman
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Senam Klomegah
- Department of Family and Community Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe, Ghana
| | - Milka Njeri Wanjohi
- Maternal and Child Wellbeing Unit, African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Akua Tandoh
- Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Robert Akparibo
- School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Paula Griffiths
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | | | - Kobby Mensah
- Business School, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | | | - Francis Zotor
- Department of Family and Community Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe, Ghana
| | - Michelle Holdsworth
- NUTRIPASS Unit, French Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), Montpellier, France
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Cohen N, Chrobok M, Caruso O. Google-truthing to assess hot spots of food retail change: A repeat cross-sectional Street View of food environments in the Bronx, New York. Health Place 2020; 62:102291. [PMID: 32479368 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Google Street View (GSV) images can be used to "ground-truth" current and historical food retail data from approximately 2007 - when GSV was launched in a few US cities - to the present, facilitating analyses of food environments over time. A review of GSV images of all food retailers listed in a government database of licensed establishments in the Bronx, New York enabled records to be verified, businesses classified, and retail change quantified. The data revealed several trends likely to affect food access and health: increasing overall numbers of food retailers; the growth of dollar stores; and numerous openings, closings, and ownership changes across all food retail segments. Hot spot analysis identified statistically significant clusters of new dollar stores and bodegas, purveyors of less healthy processed foods, in lower-income neighborhoods in the South Bronx that face elevated rates of diet-related diseases. This article demonstrates the benefits and limitations of using GSV to conduct "virtual" food environment research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nevin Cohen
- CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, Department of Health Policy & Management, 55 W 125th Street, Room 605, New York City, New York, 10027, United States.
| | - Michael Chrobok
- Department of Geography & Planning, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Room 5047, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G3, Canada.
| | - Olivia Caruso
- Health Studies, University of Toronto, 15 King's College Circle, Room H012, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3H7, Canada.
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Downs SM, Ahmed S, Fanzo J, Herforth A. Food Environment Typology: Advancing an Expanded Definition, Framework, and Methodological Approach for Improved Characterization of Wild, Cultivated, and Built Food Environments toward Sustainable Diets. Foods 2020; 9:E532. [PMID: 32331424 PMCID: PMC7230632 DOI: 10.3390/foods9040532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The food environment is a critical place in the food system to implement interventions to support sustainable diets and address the global syndemic of obesity, undernutrition, and climate change, because it contains the total scope of options within which consumers make decisions about which foods to acquire and consume. In this paper, we build on existing definitions of the food environment, and provide an expanded definition that includes the parameter of sustainability properties of foods and beverages, in order to integrate linkages between food environments and sustainable diets. We further provide a graphical representation of the food environment using a socio-ecological framework. Next, we provide a typology with descriptions of the different types of food environments that consumers have access to in low-, middle-, and high-income countries including wild, cultivated, and built food environments. We characterize the availability, affordability, convenience, promotion and quality (previously termed desirability), and sustainability properties of food and beverages for each food environment type. Lastly, we identify a methodological approach with potential objective and subjective tools and metrics for measuring the different properties of various types of food environments. The definition, framework, typology, and methodological toolbox presented here are intended to facilitate scholars and practitioners to identify entry points in the food environment for implementing and evaluating interventions that support sustainable diets for enhancing human and planetary health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shauna M. Downs
- Department of Urban-Global Public Health, School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, USA;
| | - Selena Ahmed
- Sustainable Food Systems Program, Department of Health and Human Development, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Jessica Fanzo
- Berman Institute of Bioethics, Nitze School of Advanced International Studies and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC 21205, USA;
| | - Anna Herforth
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard, University Boston, MA 02125, USA;
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Relationship between different levels of the Mexican food environment and dietary intake: a qualitative systematic review. Public Health Nutr 2020; 23:1877-1888. [DOI: 10.1017/s1368980019004294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
AbstractObjective:To investigate the possible associations between the food environment and dietary intake in the Mexican population.Design:Four databases (PubMed, PsychInfo, Web of Science and SCIelo) were used to retrieve relevant articles using an open timeframe. Articles were reviewed if they contained a systematic measure (i.e. food checklist) of the food environment (e.g. food availability) and dietary intake.Setting:Urban and rural communities in Mexico.Participants:Population-based studies of Mexican communities.Results:Twenty studies that assessed at least one food environment level, and at least one dietary outcome, were reviewed. Findings from these studies showed that changes in the Mexican food environment seem to be associated with higher availability of energy-dense foods. Energy-dense foods can be linked to a high consumption in household, environment and community food environments. When both nutrient-dense and energy-dense foods were present, individuals were more likely to consume foods with added sugars, fats and salt options than nutrient-dense items.Conclusions:The various levels of the food environment (i.e. household, school, community) exposed participants to energy-dense foods. Although nutrient-dense foods were present in all three levels, individuals were more likely to consume energy-dense food items. Not all three levels of the food environment are well represented in the urban and rural settings. Most studies on the community food environment were done in rural areas, whereas most studies on the school food environment were done in urban settings. Additional rigorously designed studies are needed to document the relationship between the food environment and dietary intake in the Mexican population.
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O’Halloran S, Eksteen G, Gebremariam M, Alston L. Measurement Methods Used to Assess the School Food Environment: A Systematic Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17051623. [PMID: 32138232 PMCID: PMC7084932 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17051623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Children consume approximately half of their total daily amount of energy at school. Foods consumed are often energy-dense, nutrient-poor. The school food environment represents an effective setting to influence children’s food choices when dietary habits are established and continue to track into adulthood. The aim of this review was to: (1) group methods used for assessing the school food environment according to four food environment dimensions: Physical, economic, socio-cultural and policy and (2) assess the quality of the methods according to four criteria: Comprehensiveness, relevance, generalizability and feasibility. Three databases were searched, and studies were used to assess food and beverages provided at school canteens, tuck shops or cafeterias were included. The review identified 38 global studies (including 49 methods of measuring the food environment). The physical environment was the primary focus for 47% of articles, aspects of policy environment was assessed by 37% articles and a small number of studies assessed the economic (8%) and socio cultural (8%) environment. Three methods were rated ‘high’ quality and seven methods received ‘medium’ quality ratings. The review revealed there are no standardized methods used to measure the school food environment. Robust methods to monitor the school food environment across a range of diverse country contexts is required to provide an understanding of obesogenic school environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siobhan O’Halloran
- Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway;
- Correspondence:
| | - Gabriel Eksteen
- Division Human Nutrition, University of Cape Town, UCT Medical Campus, Cape Town 7925, South Africa;
| | - Mekdes Gebremariam
- Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway;
| | - Laura Alston
- Global Obesity Centre (GLOBE), Faculty of Health, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Geelong VIC 3217, Australia;
- Deakin Rural Health, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong VIC 3217, Australia
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Spires M, Berggreen-Clausen A, Kasujja FX, Delobelle P, Puoane T, Sanders D, Daivadanam M. Snapshots of Urban and Rural Food Environments: EPOCH-Based Mapping in a High-, Middle-, and Low-Income Country from a Non-Communicable Disease Perspective. Nutrients 2020; 12:E484. [PMID: 32075027 PMCID: PMC7071357 DOI: 10.3390/nu12020484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
A changing food environment is implicated as a primary contributor to the increasing levels of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This study aimed to generate snapshots of selected external food environments to inform intervention strategies for NCD prevention in three countries: Uganda (low income), South Africa (middle income) and Sweden (high income), with one matched pair of urban-rural sites per country. Fifty formal and informal food retail outlets were assessed, and descriptive and comparative statistical analyses were performed. We found that formal food retail outlets in these countries had both positive and negative traits, as they were the main source of basic food items but also made unhealthy food items readily available. The Ugandan setting had predominantly informal outlets, while the Swedish setting had primarily formal outlets and South Africa had both, which fits broadly into the traditional (Uganda), mixed (South Africa) and modern (Sweden) conceptualized food systems. The promotion of unhealthy food products was high in all settings. Uganda had the highest in-community advertising, followed by South Africa and Sweden with the lowest, perhaps related to differences in regulation and implementation. The findings speak to the need to address contextual differences in NCD-related health interventions by incorporating strategies that address the food environment, and for a critical look at regulations that tackle key environment-related factors of food on a larger scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Spires
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa; (M.S.); (P.D.); (T.P.)
- Centre for Food Policy, City, University of London, London EC1R 1UW, UK
| | | | - Francis Xavier Kasujja
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda;
| | - Peter Delobelle
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa; (M.S.); (P.D.); (T.P.)
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7925, South Africa
- Department of Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thandi Puoane
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa; (M.S.); (P.D.); (T.P.)
| | - David Sanders
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Bellville 7535, South Africa; (M.S.); (P.D.); (T.P.)
| | - Meena Daivadanam
- Department of Food Studies, Nutrition and Dietetics, Uppsala University, 75122 Uppsala, Sweden;
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
- International Maternal and Child Health, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, 75237 Uppsala, Sweden
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Impact of Dining Hall Structural Changes on Food Choices: A Pre-Post Observational Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17030913. [PMID: 32024203 PMCID: PMC7037433 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17030913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Change that benefits individuals and organisations while delivering health outcomes and benefits society requires a research focus that extends ‘beyond the individual’ to environment shapers. A pre-post observational study assessed two food provision structural changes to understand the role food service environments had on food selections. Diners were observed prior to (lunch n = 1294; dinner n = 787) and following (lunch n = 1230; dinner n = 843) structural changes in a buffet-style dining room—including provision of a healthy convenient meal alternative for lunch (healthy lunch bag), and a pleasurable dinner (make-your-own pizza). Food choices shifted with 19% of diners opting for a healthy lunch bag and 29% of diners selecting a pizza dinner, moving away from the existing buffet. Examination of selections by those continuing to select from the concurrent buffet selections established that the availability of healthy alternatives in the buffet partially explained food choices, moderating any observed changes in food selections. The food service sector is a promising avenue through which dietary behaviours can be improved. Further studies, particularly those that measure selections over the longer term, and that include measures of satisfaction and profit, are needed.
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29
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Drewnowski A, Buszkiewicz J, Aggarwal A, Rose C, Gupta S, Bradshaw A. Obesity and the Built Environment: A Reappraisal. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2020; 28:22-30. [PMID: 31782242 PMCID: PMC6986313 DOI: 10.1002/oby.22672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The built environment (BE) has been viewed as an important determinant of health. Numerous studies have linked BE exposure, captured using a variety of methods, to diet quality and to area prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. First-generation studies defined the neighborhood BE as the area around the home. Second-generation studies turned from home-centric to person-centric BE measures, capturing an individual's movements in space and time. Those studies made effective uses of global positioning system tracking devices and mobile phones, sometimes coupled with accelerometers and remote sensors. Activity space metrics explored travel paths, modes, and destinations to assess BE exposure that was both person and context specific. However, as measures of the contextual exposome have become ever more fine-grained and increasingly complex, connections to long-term chronic diseases with complex etiologies, such as obesity, are in danger of being lost. Furthermore, few studies on obesity and the BE have included intermediate energy balance behaviors, such as diet and physical activity, or explored the potential roles of social interactions or psychosocial pathways. Emerging survey-based applications that identify habitual destinations and associated travel patterns may become the third generation of tools to capture health-relevant BE exposures in the long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Drewnowski
- Center for Public Health Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of Washington
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington
| | - James Buszkiewicz
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington
| | - Anju Aggarwal
- Center for Public Health Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of Washington
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington
| | - Chelsea Rose
- Center for Public Health Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of Washington
| | - Shilpi Gupta
- Center for Public Health Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of Washington
| | - Annie Bradshaw
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington
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30
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Bowman DD, Minaker LM, Simpson BJK, Gilliland JA. Development of a Teen-Informed Coding Tool to Measure the Power of Food Advertisements. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16214258. [PMID: 31684019 PMCID: PMC6862172 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16214258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The food-related information environment, comprised of food and beverage advertising within one’s surroundings, is a growing concern for adolescent health given that food marketing disproportionately targets adolescents. Despite strong public interest concerning the effects of food marketing on child health, there is limited evidence focused on outdoor food advertising in relation to teenage diets, food purchasing, and perceptions. Further, limited research has considered both the exposure to and influence of such advertisements. This study used a novel multi-method approach to identify and quantify the features of outdoor food and beverage advertisements that are most effective at drawing teenagers into retail food establishments. An environmental audit of outdoor advertisements and consultations with youth were used to: (1) identify teen-directed food marketing techniques; (2) validate and weigh the power of individual advertising elements; and, (3) develop a teen-informed coding tool to measure the power of food-related advertisements. Results indicate that marketing power is a function of the presence and size of teen-directed advertisement features, and the relative nature of each feature is an important consideration. This study offers a quantitative measurement tool for food environment research and urges policymakers to consider teen-directed marketing when creating healthy communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Drew D Bowman
- Human Environments Analysis Laboratory, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada.
- Children's Health Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2V5, Canada.
- Department of Geography, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada.
| | - Leia M Minaker
- Human Environments Analysis Laboratory, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada.
- School of Planning, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Bonnie J K Simpson
- Human Environments Analysis Laboratory, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada.
- DAN Department of Management and Organizational Studies, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada.
| | - Jason A Gilliland
- Human Environments Analysis Laboratory, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada.
- Children's Health Research Institute, London, ON N6C 2V5, Canada.
- Department of Geography, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada.
- School of Health Studies, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada.
- Department of Paediatrics, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada.
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON N6A 5C1, Canada.
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31
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Blake MR, Backholer K, Lancsar E, Boelsen-Robinson T, Mah C, Brimblecombe J, Zorbas C, Billich N, Peeters A. Investigating business outcomes of healthy food retail strategies: A systematic scoping review. Obes Rev 2019; 20:1384-1399. [PMID: 31397087 DOI: 10.1111/obr.12912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Large changes to food retail settings are required to improve population diet. However, limited research has comprehensively considered the business implications of healthy food retail strategies for food retailers. We performed a systematic scoping review to identify types of business outcomes that have been reported in healthy food retail strategy evaluations. Peer-reviewed and grey literature were searched. We identified qualitative or quantitative real-world food or beverage retail strategies designed to improve the healthiness of the consumer nutrition environment (eg, changes to the "marketing mix" of product, price, promotion, and/or placement). Eligible studies reported store- or chain-level outcomes for measures of commercial viability, retailer perspectives, customer perspectives, and/or community outcomes. 11 682 titles and abstracts were screened with 107 studies included for review from 15 countries. Overall item sales, revenue, store patronage, and customer level of satisfaction with strategy were the most frequently examined outcomes. There was a large heterogeneity in outcome measures reported and in favourability for retailers of outcomes across studies. We recommend more consistent reporting of business outcomes and increased development and use of validated and reliable measurement tools. This may help generate more robust research evidence to aid retailers and policymakers to select feasible and sustainable healthy food retail strategies to benefit population health within and across countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miranda R Blake
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Deakin University, Geelong, Global Obesity Centre, Institute for Health Transformation, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kathryn Backholer
- Deakin University, Geelong, Global Obesity Centre, Institute for Health Transformation, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emily Lancsar
- Department of Health Services Research and Policy, Research School of Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.,Centre for Health Economics, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tara Boelsen-Robinson
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Deakin University, Geelong, Global Obesity Centre, Institute for Health Transformation, Victoria, Australia
| | - Catherine Mah
- Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Julie Brimblecombe
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christina Zorbas
- Deakin University, Geelong, Global Obesity Centre, Institute for Health Transformation, Victoria, Australia
| | - Natassja Billich
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anna Peeters
- Deakin University, Geelong, Global Obesity Centre, Institute for Health Transformation, Victoria, Australia
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32
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Love P, Whelan J, Bell C, McCracken J. Measuring Rural Food Environments for Local Action in Australia: A Systematic Critical Synthesis Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16132416. [PMID: 31284678 PMCID: PMC6651399 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16132416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Poor diet is a significant contributor to obesity and chronic disease. With all being more prevalent in rural than urban Australia, modifying the food environment is a potential intervention point to improve the health of rural populations. This review examined the applicability of measurement tools used in rural food environment research for rural Australia. Six electronic databases were searched for peer-reviewed literature, published in English between 2006 and 2018, including at least one objective measure of the Community or Consumer Food Environment in a rural or mixed rural/urban context. One-hundred and seventy-seven papers were returned after removal of duplicates, with a final review of 25. Most studies were cross-sectional, with one intervention study of quasi-experimental design. Nine studies employed a conceptual model; there was considerable variability in tools used; and few described psychometric testing. The most common attribute measured was price, followed by available healthy options. The findings of this review do not offer a suite of ‘gold standard’ measurement tools known to be reliable, valid and sensitive to change to assess the community or consumer food environments in rural Australian towns. However, recommendations are proposed to progress this important area of research within a rural context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penelope Love
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds 3216, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Jillian Whelan
- Global Centre for Obesity Prevention, School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, Geelong 3220, Victoria, Australia
| | - Colin Bell
- Global Centre for Obesity Prevention, School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, Geelong 3220, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jane McCracken
- Northern Mallee Community Partnership, Mildura 3500, Victoria, Australia
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33
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Roy R, Soo D, Conroy D, Wall CR, Swinburn B. Exploring University Food Environment and On-Campus Food Purchasing Behaviors, Preferences, and Opinions. JOURNAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 51:865-875. [PMID: 30981657 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2019.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cross-sectional observation of a university food environment and a survey of food purchasing preferences, behaviors, and opinions of students and staff to formulate strategies for interventions. DESIGN A modified food environment-quality index was used to assess food outlets. A cross-sectional survey with closed (n = 42) and open-ended (n = 2) questions assessing students and staff purchasing, choice determinants, and opinions about the food environment. SETTING Six campuses of 1 large urban university. PARTICIPANTS Food outlets (eg, convenience stores, restaurant and café, takeout, vending machines) (n = 57). University students and staff (n = 1,954). ANALYSIS The researchers calculated descriptive statistics and Pearson chi-square tests to compare the percentages of healthy and/or unhealthy products in high- vs low-scoring outlets. Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to determine differences in healthiness between outlet types. Pearson chi-square tests were used to examine the influence of gender, and student and staff differences in survey responses. RESULTS Median food environment-quality index was 79 out of 199 (interquartile range = 7). Six food outlets were categorized as healthy and 2 as unhealthy; the rest were intermediate. Overall, healthy items were less available, accessible, and promoted and cost more than unhealthy items. The majority of respondents in the survey (79%) purchased food and beverages on campus; males consuming them more frequently than did females (P = .001) and students consumed them more frequently than did staff (P = .001). Value for money, healthfulness, and taste determined the choice. Respondents suggested increasing value for money and healthy options. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Interventions that improve food availability, accessibility, prices, and promotions through policies are warranted and would be well-received among both university students and staff.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajshri Roy
- Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - Danielle Soo
- Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Denise Conroy
- Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Clare R Wall
- Discipline of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Boyd Swinburn
- School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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34
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Sacks G, Robinson E, Cameron AJ. Issues in Measuring the Healthiness of Food Environments and Interpreting Relationships with Diet, Obesity and Related Health Outcomes. Curr Obes Rep 2019; 8:98-111. [PMID: 30879246 DOI: 10.1007/s13679-019-00342-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW There is a broad consensus that policies to create healthier food environments are needed to address obesity. However, previous reviews of the relationships between the healthiness of food environments and diet/obesity-related outcomes have typically reported either mixed associations or none at all. This paper aimed to synthesise measurement and interpretation issues in this field, based on findings from previous reviews. RECENT FINDINGS Key issues, drawn from 14 previous reviews in the last decade, included: (1) the use of measures of the food environments that are too narrow in scope; (2) inadequate measures of the way in which people are exposed to, and interact with, food environments; and (3) large heterogeneity in tools and methods used. To evaluate the impact of food environments on diet and health, composite measures of the healthiness of food environments, informed by actual usage patterns, need to be developed and consistently applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Sacks
- Global Obesity Centre, Melbourne Burwood Campus, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia.
| | - Ella Robinson
- Global Obesity Centre, Melbourne Burwood Campus, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia
| | - Adrian J Cameron
- Global Obesity Centre, Melbourne Burwood Campus, Deakin University, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, VIC, 3125, Australia
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35
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Describing Food and Beverage Restaurants: Creating A Reliable Coding Tool. HEALTH BEHAVIOR AND POLICY REVIEW 2019; 6:152-165. [PMID: 33860065 DOI: 10.14485/hbpr.6.2.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Objective To develop an informed, reliable data collection tool to code restaurants found within the youth food environment. Methods Registered Dietitians were surveyed and academic literature review was reviewed to determine health centric food environment features. Features were incorporated into an electronic data collection tool. Inter-rater reliability was tested across coders of varying nutrition training on all restaurants located within a half-mile of three high schools. Results Sixteen restaurant food environment codes were generated. Data collection had a mean inter-rater reliability of 90.7% agreement (range=81.3-100%), suggesting that regardless of nutrition training, the restaurant food environment can be reliability coded. Conclusions Academic and public health professionals can use this tool to collect reliable, informed local restaurant food environment data.
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Development and Validation of a Simple Convenience Store SHELF Audit. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:ijerph15122676. [PMID: 30486483 PMCID: PMC6313507 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15122676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Background This paper describes the development, reliability, and convergent validity of a practical tool—the Convenience Store Supportive Healthy Environment for Life-Promoting Food (SHELF) Audit. Methods Audit items included: a variety of fresh, processed, and frozen fruits and vegetables; low-fat dairy products; healthy staples and frozen meals; healthy food incentive programs; items sold in check-out areas; portion/cup sizes; and pricing. Each audit item was scored using a five-point semantic-differential scale (1 = provides little or no support for healthful foods to 5 = provides high support for healthful foods). Convergent validity was examined by comparing the SHELF audit to Ghirardelli et al. and Laska et al. store audits. Statistical analysis included: Factor analysis, ANOVA, and Spearman correlations. Results SHELF included three factors: a Fruits/Vegetables scale (eight items, α = 0.79; total potential points = 34); a Healthy Foods scale (four items, α = 0.72; total potential points = 16); and a Supports scale (four items, α = 0.685; total potential points = 16). Only 6% of the 124 convenience stores assessed scored in the most healthful range (46–66). The assessed drug stores (n = 15) scored higher than convenience stores (n = 81) on the Healthy Foods and Supports scales but not the Fruits/Vegetables scale. The SHELF sub-scores were highly correlated with other audit tools indicating convergent validity. Conclusion The SHELF convenience store audit is a valid, reliable tool for assessing the degree to which convenience stores support healthfulness regarding Fruits/Vegetables, Healthy Foods, and Supports for choosing healthy.
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37
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Transitions on the shopping floor: Investigating the role of Canadian supermarkets in alternative protein consumption. Appetite 2018; 130:146-156. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 07/21/2018] [Accepted: 08/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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38
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Carducci B, Oh C, Keats EC, Gaffey MF, Roth DE, Bhutta ZA. PROTOCOL: Impact of the food environment on diet-related health outcomes in school-age children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review. CAMPBELL SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS 2018; 14:1-55. [PMID: 37131391 PMCID: PMC8428038 DOI: 10.1002/cl2.198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
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39
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Bivoltsis A, Cervigni E, Trapp G, Knuiman M, Hooper P, Ambrosini GL. Food environments and dietary intakes among adults: does the type of spatial exposure measurement matter? A systematic review. Int J Health Geogr 2018; 17:19. [PMID: 29885662 PMCID: PMC5994245 DOI: 10.1186/s12942-018-0139-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The relationships between food environments and dietary intake have been assessed via a range of methodologically diverse measures of spatial exposure to food outlets, resulting in a largely inconclusive body of evidence, limiting informed policy intervention. OBJECTIVE This systematic review aims to evaluate the influence of methodological choice on study outcomes by examining the within-study effect of availability (e.g., counts) versus accessibility (e.g., proximity) spatial exposure measures on associations with diet. METHODS (PROSPERO registration: CRD42018085250). PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and ScienceDirect databases were searched for empirical studies from 1980 to 2017, in the English language, involving adults and reporting on the statistical association between a dietary outcome and spatial exposure measures of both availability and accessibility. Studies were appraised using an eight-point quality criteria with a narrative synthesis of results. RESULTS A total of 205 associations and 44 relationships (i.e., multiple measures of spatial exposure relating to a particular food outlet type and dietary outcome) were extracted from 14 eligible articles. Comparative measures were dominated by counts (availability) and proximity (accessibility). Few studies compared more complex measures and all counts were derived from place-based measures of exposure. Sixteen of the 44 relationships had a significant effect involving an availability measure whilst only 8 had a significant effect from an accessibility measure. The largest effect sizes in relationships were mostly for availability measures. After stratification by scale, availability measure had the greatest effect size in 139 of the 176 pairwise comparisons. Of the 33% (68/205) of associations that reached significance, 53/68 (78%) were from availability measures. There was no relationship between study quality and reported study outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The limited evidence suggests that availability measures may produce significant and greater effect sizes than accessibility measures. However, both availability and accessibility measures may be important concepts of spatial exposure depending on the food outlet type and dietary outcome examined. More studies reporting on multi-method effects are required to differentiate findings by the type of spatial exposure assessment and build an evidence base regarding the appropriateness and robustness of measures under different circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexia Bivoltsis
- School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia, M451, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Eleanor Cervigni
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Gina Trapp
- School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia, M451, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia.,Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, PO Box 855, West Perth, WA, 6872, Australia
| | - Matthew Knuiman
- School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia, M451, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Paula Hooper
- School of Agriculture and Environment and the School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Gina Leslie Ambrosini
- School of Population and Global Health, The University of Western Australia, M451, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
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40
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Who Cares? The Importance of Emotional Connections with Nature to Ensure Food Security and Wellbeing in Cities. SUSTAINABILITY 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/su10061844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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41
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Aragon MC, Armstrong Shultz J, Bush-Kaufman A, Barale K. Low-income respondents’ perceptions about food retail and food pantry shopping environments. JOURNAL OF HUNGER & ENVIRONMENTAL NUTRITION 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/19320248.2018.1434097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Catalina Aragon
- Extension Youth and Family Unit, Washington State University, Tacoma, WA, USA
| | | | | | - Karen Barale
- Extension Youth and Family Unit, Washington State University, Tacoma, WA, USA
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42
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Tsai C, Svensen E, Flood VM, Probst Y, Reilly K, Corbett S, Wu JHY. Healthiness of Food and Beverages for Sale at Two Public Hospitals in New South Wales, Australia. Nutrients 2018; 10:nu10020216. [PMID: 29462881 PMCID: PMC5852792 DOI: 10.3390/nu10020216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Our aim was to conduct objective, baseline food environment audits of two major western Sydney public hospitals and compare them to recently revised state nutritional guidelines. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional assessment was conducted (June-July2017) across 14 fixed food outlets and 70 vending machines in two hospitals using an audit tool designed to assess the guideline's key food environment parameters of availability, placement, and promotion of 'Everyday' (healthy) and 'Occasional' (less healthy) products. (3) Results: Availability: Overall, Everyday products made up 51% and 44% of all products available at the two hospitals. Only 1/14(7%) fixed outlets and 16/70(23%) vending machines met the guideline's availability benchmarks of ≥75% Everyday food and beverages. Proportion of Everyday products differed among different types of food outlets (café, cafeteria, convenience stores). Placement: On average, food outlets did not meet recommendations of limiting Occasional products in prominent positions, with checkout areas and countertops displaying over 60% Occasional items. Promotion: Over two-thirds of meal deals at both hospitals included Occasional products. (4) Conclusion: Baseline audit results show that substantial improvements in availability, placement, and promotion can be made at these public hospitals to meet the nutrition guidelines. Audits of other NSW hospitals using the developed tool are needed to investigate similarities and differences in food environment between sites. These findings highlight the need for ongoing tracking to inform whether the revised guidelines are leading to improved food environments in health facilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Tsai
- Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
| | - Erika Svensen
- Faculty of Science, Medicine & Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
| | - Victoria M Flood
- Western Sydney Local Health District, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Lidcombe, NSW 2141, Australia.
| | - Yasmine Probst
- Faculty of Science, Medicine & Health, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
| | - Kathryn Reilly
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
- Hunter New England Population Health, Wallsend, NSW 2287, Australia.
| | - Stephen Corbett
- Western Sydney Local Health District, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
| | - Jason H Y Wu
- The George Institute for Global Health, University of New South Wales, Newtown, NSW 2042, Australia.
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Mobile produce market influences access to fruits and vegetables in an urban environment. Public Health Nutr 2018; 21:1332-1344. [DOI: 10.1017/s1368980017003755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
AbstractObjectiveTo assess the influence of a mobile produce market (MPM) on fruit and vegetable access.DesignNovel application of a structured assessment (five dimensions of access framework) to examine fruit and vegetable access through self-administered surveys on shopping behaviours, and perceptions and experiences of shopping at the MPM.SettingLow-income neighbourhoods with limited access to fruits and vegetables.SubjectsOlder (≥60 years) and younger (18–59·9 years) shoppers.ResultsParticipants were more likely to be women and non-White, one-third lived alone and nearly half were older adults. Compared with younger, older participants had different shopping behaviours: tended to purchase food for one person (P < 0·001), be long-term shoppers (P=0·002) and use electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards (P=0·012). Older adults were more likely to like the market location (P=0·03), while younger adults were more likely to want changes in location (P=0·04), more activities (P=0·04), taste sampling (P=0·05) and nutritional counselling (P=0·01). The MPM captured all dimensions of access: availability, indicated by satisfaction with the produce variety for nearly one-third of all participants; accessibility, indicated by participants travelling <1 mile (<1·6 km; 72·2 %) and appreciation of location (72·7 %); affordability, indicated by satisfaction with price (47·6 %); acceptability, indicated by appreciation of produce quality (46·2 %); and accommodation, indicated by satisfaction with safety of location (30·1 %) and high EBT use among older adults (41·8 %).ConclusionsMPM may influence fruit and vegetable access in low-income urban neighbourhoods by facilitating the five dimensions of access and may especially benefit older adults and individuals living alone.
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Tyrrell RL, Greenhalgh F, Hodgson S, Wills WJ, Mathers JC, Adamson AJ, Lake AA. Food environments of young people: linking individual behaviour to environmental context. J Public Health (Oxf) 2018; 39:95-104. [PMID: 26962196 DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdw019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background We aimed to identify and characterize the food environments from which young people obtain food and to explore associations between the type of food environment and food intakes. Methods Young people (n = 86, mean age 17 years; combined data of two sequential pilot studies (collected in 2008-09) and a study conducted in 2011-12) recorded in 4-day self-complete food diaries what food they consumed and where food was sourced. Nutrient, fruit and vegetable intake was calculated according to the source of food, categorized using a food environment classification tool. Results Over 4 days, respondents sourced food from an average of 4.3 different food environments. Home food was used daily and was more favourable in terms of nutrient profile than out-of-home food. Food sourced from specialist outlets, convenience stores and retail bakers had the highest energy density. Food from retail bakers and 'takeaway and fast food' outlets were the richest sources of fat while vending machines and convenience stores had the highest percentage of energy from sugar. Conclusions This work provides details of 'where' young people obtain food and the nutritional consequences of choosing those food environments. While home food was a significant contributor to total dietary intake, food was obtained from a broad range of environments; particularly takeaway, fast food and education establishments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L Tyrrell
- NSPCC, Centre for Early Child Development, Number One, Bickerstaffe Square, Blackpool, UK.,Human Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Health & Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Fiona Greenhalgh
- Human Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Health & Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Susan Hodgson
- MRC-PHE Centre for Environment and Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Wendy J Wills
- Centre for Research in Primary and Community Care, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
| | - John C Mathers
- Human Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle on Tyne, UK
| | - Ashley J Adamson
- Human Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Health & Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Fuse - UKCRC Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Newcastle on Tyne, UK
| | - Amelia A Lake
- Human Nutrition Research Centre, Institute of Health & Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Fuse - UKCRC Centre for Translational Research in Public Health, Newcastle on Tyne, UK.,Centre for Public Policy & Health, School of Medicine, Pharmacy & Health, Wolfson Research Institute, Durham University, Stockton-on-Tees, UK
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Cooksey-Stowers K, Schwartz MB, Brownell KD. Food Swamps Predict Obesity Rates Better Than Food Deserts in the United States. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2017; 14:E1366. [PMID: 29135909 PMCID: PMC5708005 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14111366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 251] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
This paper investigates the effect of food environments, characterized as food swamps, on adult obesity rates. Food swamps have been described as areas with a high-density of establishments selling high-calorie fast food and junk food, relative to healthier food options. This study examines multiple ways of categorizing food environments as food swamps and food deserts, including alternate versions of the Retail Food Environment Index. We merged food outlet, sociodemographic and obesity data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Environment Atlas, the American Community Survey, and a commercial street reference dataset. We employed an instrumental variables (IV) strategy to correct for the endogeneity of food environments (i.e., that individuals self-select into neighborhoods and may consider food availability in their decision). Our results suggest that the presence of a food swamp is a stronger predictor of obesity rates than the absence of full-service grocery stores. We found, even after controlling for food desert effects, food swamps have a positive, statistically significant effect on adult obesity rates. All three food swamp measures indicated the same positive association, but reflected different magnitudes of the food swamp effect on rates of adult obesity (p values ranged from 0.00 to 0.16). Our adjustment for reverse causality, using an IV approach, revealed a stronger effect of food swamps than would have been obtained by naïve ordinary least squares (OLS) estimates. The food swamp effect was stronger in counties with greater income inequality (p < 0.05) and where residents are less mobile (p < 0.01). Based on these findings, local government policies such as zoning laws simultaneously restricting access to unhealthy food outlets and incentivizing healthy food retailers to locate in underserved neighborhoods warrant consideration as strategies to increase health equity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Cooksey-Stowers
- Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT 06103, USA.
| | - Marlene B Schwartz
- Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, University of Connecticut, Hartford, CT 06103, USA.
| | - Kelly D Brownell
- Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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Is Living near Healthier Food Stores Associated with Better Food Intake in Regional Australia? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2017; 14:ijerph14080884. [PMID: 28783099 PMCID: PMC5580588 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14080884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2017] [Revised: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
High prevalence of obesity and non-communicable diseases is a global public health problem, in which the quality of food environments is thought to play an important role. Current scientific evidence is not consistent regarding the impact of food environments on diet. The relationship between local food environments and diet quality was assessed across 10 Australian suburbs, using Australian-based indices devised to measure the two parameters. Data of dietary habits from the participants was gathered using a short questionnaire. The suburbs' Food Environment Score (higher being healthier) was associated with higher consumption of fruit (χ² (40, 230) = 58.8, p = 0.04), and vegetables (χ² (40, 230) = 81.3, p = 0.03). The Food Environment Score identified a significant positive correlation with four of the diet scores: individual total diet score (rs = 0.30, p < 0.01), fruit and vegetable score (rs = 0.43, p < 0.01), sugary drink score (rs = 0.13, p < 0.05), and discretionary food score (rs = 0.15, p < 0.05). Moreover, the suburbs' RFEI (Retail Food Environment Index, higher being unhealthier) showed a significant association with higher consumption of salty snacks (χ² (24, 230) = 43.9, p = 0.04). Food environments dominated by food outlets considered as 'healthier' were associated with healthier population food intakes, as indicated by a higher consumption of fruit, vegetables, and water, as well as a lower consumption of junk food, salty snacks, and sugary drinks. This association suggests that healthier diet quality is associated with healthier food environments in regional Australia.
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MacNell L, Elliott S, Hardison-Moody A, Bowen S. Black and Latino Urban Food Desert Residents’ Perceptions of Their Food Environment and Factors That Influence Food Shopping Decisions. JOURNAL OF HUNGER & ENVIRONMENTAL NUTRITION 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/19320248.2017.1284025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lillian MacNell
- Department of Public Health, Campbell University, Buies Creek, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sinikka Elliott
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Annie Hardison-Moody
- Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sarah Bowen
- Department of Sociology and Anthropology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
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Using Geographic Information Systems to measure retail food environments: Discussion of methodological considerations and a proposed reporting checklist (Geo-FERN). Health Place 2017; 44:110-117. [DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2017.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2016] [Revised: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Lytle LA, Sokol RL. Measures of the food environment: A systematic review of the field, 2007-2015. Health Place 2017; 44:18-34. [PMID: 28135633 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2016.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 162] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many studies have examined the relationship between the food environment and health-related outcomes, but fewer consider the integrity of measures used to assess the food environment. The present review builds on and makes comparisons with a previous review examining food environment measures and expands the previous review to include a more in depth examination of reliability and validity of measures and study designs employed. METHODS We conducted a systematic review of studies measuring the food environment published between 2007 and 2015. We identified these articles through: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Global Health databases; tables of contents of relevant journals; and the National Cancer Institute's Measures of the Food Environment website. This search yielded 11,928 citations. We retained and abstracted data from 432 studies. RESULTS The most common methodology used to study the food environment was geographic analysis (65% of articles) and the domination of this methodology has persisted since the last review. Only 25.9% of studies in this review reported the reliability of measures and 28.2% reported validity, but this was an improvement as compared to the earlier review. Very few of the studies reported construct validity. Studies reporting measures of the school or worksite environment have decreased since the previous review. Only 13.9% of the studies used a longitudinal design. CONCLUSIONS To strengthen research examining the relationship between the food environment and population health, there is a need for robust and psychometrically-sound measures and more sophisticated study designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie A Lytle
- Department of Health Behavior, Campus Box 7440, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7440, United States.
| | - Rebeccah L Sokol
- Department of Health Behavior, Campus Box 7440, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7440, United States
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Correa EN, Padez CMP, Abreu ÂHD, Vasconcelos FDAGD. Geographic and socioeconomic distribution of food vendors: a case study of a municipality in the Southern Brazil. CAD SAUDE PUBLICA 2017; 33:e00145015. [DOI: 10.1590/0102-311x00145015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2015] [Accepted: 05/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract: The objective of this study was to identify the food vendor distribution profile of the city of Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State, Brazil, and investigate its association with the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of different municipal regions. This descriptive, cross-sectional study obtained the location of food vendors from secondary data from different institutional sources. The density of different types of food vendors per 1,000 inhabitants in each municipal weighted area was calculated. The Kruskal-Wallis test compared the mean density of food vendors and the weighted income areas. The lowest-income regions had the lowest density of butchers, snack bars, supermarkets, bakeries/pastry shops, natural product stores, juice bars, and convenience stores. The identification of these areas may encourage the creation of public policies that facilitate healthy food startups and/or maintenance of healthy food vendors, especially in the lowest-income regions.
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