School food environment: Quality and advertisement frequency of child-oriented packaged products within walking distance of public schools

How (Un-)Healthy are Austrian school food environments? Evidence from focus groups and citizen science

BACKGROUND

Adolescents face high-choice school food environments that offer plenty of highly processed foods. Processed food producers target young people in their marketing, but there is limited data on the actual food supply inside and in the vicinity of Austrian schools and its impact on adolescent food choices. This study employs an innovative mixed-methods approach to explore adolescents' food choices.

METHODS

In Study 1, we conducted a citizen science study, with students as volunteer scientists. The students examined the food supply in and around their schools according to the Austrian food pyramid and categorized 953 food items in 144 food suppliers using photographs and descriptions. In Study 2, we explored students' food preferences in focus groups. We conducted four focus groups at four different schools in Tyrol, with 25 students (11 male, 14 female) between the ages of 12 and 15. We then linked the findings on individual preferences with the documented supply.

RESULTS

Study 1 found that the food supply in the investigated schools was predominantly categorized as unhealthy. The students categorized 46% as "unhealthy", 32% as "intermediate", and only 22% as "healthy". Study 2 identified three influential factors in students' food choices: 1) individual factors (such as taste and preferences), 2) social factors (such as mingling with peers), and 3) structural factors (such as physical environment and accessibility).

CONCLUSION

The study shows that unhealthy products cater to unhealthy preferences among adolescents and dominate current school food environments. Policies need to address unhealthy school food environments to address this issue. For instance, food supplies should be presented in an attractive ways, in fun places where students can mingle and express their identities.

Availability of public outlets and regular consumption of fruits and vegetables among adolescents in public schools

Objective:

To assess the association between the presence of public outlets selling fruits and vegetables and the regular intake of these foods by adolescents from public schools in the city of Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.

Methods:

Data collection was carried out by a questionnaire answered by the adolescents. Regular intake was defined as eating fruits and vegetables five or more times a week. Environmental data were obtained by assessing the availability and prices of fruits and vegetables traded in public outlets within a 1.6-km radius from 30 randomly selected public schools.

Results:

A total of 1,232 students from 30 public schools participated in the study. 43.4% of the adolescents reported a regular intake of fruits; 67.0% of them reported a regular intake of vegetables. In the schools, fruit intake ranged from 26.8 to 68.0%, and the vegetables intake ranged from 54.8 to 82.2%. A total of 22 schools had fruit and vegetables being traded in their surroundings. Regular intake of vegetables was positively correlated with their variety (r=0.82; p=0.007). The Moran’s local index indicated low fruit intake in a high-supply region; in other three regions with low supply, there was a high intake of fruits; and there was a high consumption of vegetables in a high-supply region.

Conclusions:

There are differences in the supply of fruits and vegetables of public outlets in the school’s surroundings as well as in the distribution of regular intake among regions. The density of public outlets and the variety were both associated with greater intake of fruits and vegetables among adolescents of public school.

Disponibilidade de equipamentos públicos de comércio no entorno de escolas públicas e consumo regular de frutas e hortaliças em adolescentes

RESUMO Objetivo: Avaliar a associação entre presença de equipamentos públicos de comércio de frutas e hortaliças com seu consumo regular por adolescentes de escolas públicas de Curitiba, Paraná. Métodos: Informações dos adolescentes foram coletadas por meio de questionário. Considerou-se como regular o consumo de frutas e hortaliças cinco ou mais vezes na semana. Foram incluídos dados do ambiente obtidos por auditagem de equipamentos públicos de venda de frutas e hortaliças no raio de 1,6 km do entorno de 30 escolas estaduais aleatoriamente sorteadas, no qual foram avaliados a disponibilidade e os preços desses alimentos. Resultados: Participaram do estudo 1.232 alunos de 30 escolas estaduais. O consumo regular de frutas foi referido por 43,4% e de hortaliças por 67,0% dos adolescentes. Nas escolas, o consumo de frutas variou entre 26,8 e 68,0% e o de hortaliças entre 54,8 e 82,2%; 22 escolas contavam com oferta de frutas e hortaliças no entorno. O consumo regular de hortaliças esteve correlacionado positivamente com a sua variedade (r=0,82; p=0,007). O índice de Moran local indicou baixo consumo de frutas em uma regional de alta oferta e, em outras três, alto consumo de frutas e hortaliças para baixa oferta e alto consumo de hortaliças em uma regional de alta oferta. Conclusões: Existem diferenças na oferta de frutas e hortaliças dos equipamentos públicos no entorno escolar e na distribuição do consumo regular entre as regionais. Características relacionadas à densidade de equipamentos de comércio e à variedade estiveram associadas ao maior consumo de frutas e hortaliças entre os adolescentes de escolas públicas.

Associated factors with dietary patterns among children under 2 years of age: a study in childcare centres and homes of South Brazil

Identifying dietary patterns in different environments attended by children is relevant to guide public politics. The aim of this study was to analyse the factors associated with dietary patterns of children under 2 years of age in childcare centres and at homes. This transversal study was enrolled in municipal childcare centres of Guaratuba, Paraná, Brazil. Food consumption data from 256 children were obtained by the food record method. From the consumption data, four dietary patterns were identified by factor analysis using the principal component method in each environment. ‘Traditional’ patterns were observed in both environments; the ‘less healthy’ pattern was found only at homes. Other patterns identified in childcare centres include ‘snacks’, ‘nutritive’ and ‘pasta and meats’; at homes, it was possible to identify patterns such as ‘milk and cereals’ and ‘mixed’. Children over 12 months presented higher scores for all the patterns in both environments. Obese children had lower scores for all the patterns in childcare centres. There was an association between maternal age below 21 years and higher adherence to a ‘less healthy’ pattern, maternal level of education less than 8 years and lower adherence to the ‘mixed’ pattern and lower familiar income per capita and higher adherence to the ‘snacks’ and ‘traditional’ patterns in childcare centres. In conclusion, adherence to dietary patterns was associated with socio-economic, demographic variables and nutritional status and further studies are needed, especially those with a longitudinal design, enabling the monitoring of dietary patterns.

Exposure to unhealthy product advertising: Spatial proximity analysis to schools and socio-economic inequalities in daily exposure measured using Scottish Children's individual-level GPS data

This study aimed to understand socio-spatial inequalities in the placement of unhealthy commodity advertisements at transportation stops within the Central Belt of Scotland and to measure advertisement exposure using children's individual-level mobility data. We found that children who resided within more deprived areas had greater contact with the transport network and also greater exposure to unhealthy food and drink product advertising, compared to those living in less deprived areas. Individual-level mobility data provide evidence that city- or country-wide restrictions to advertising on the transport network might be required to reduce inequalities in children's exposure to unhealthy commodity advertising.

Density of outdoor food and beverage advertising around gathering place for children and adolescent in East Java, Indonesia

OBJECTIVE

To survey outdoor food and beverage advertisements ('F&B adverts') for products that may be a risk factor for obesity, diabetes and CVD located in the vicinity of gathering places for children and adolescents.

DESIGN

We recorded the GPS coordinates of all F&B adverts visible from the streets at distances of 0-100, 100-300 and 300-500 m from facilities often used by children and adolescents. Those for unhealthy foods and beverages were identified. The density (number per square kilometre) of such advertisements was calculated and evaluated using hotspot analysis.

SETTING

The sub-districts Mulyorejo and Sukolilo in Surabaya city and the sub-districts Banyuwangi and Giri in Banyuwangi District, Indonesia.

PARTICIPANTS

None.

RESULTS

The proportion of all outdoor advertisements that were F&B adverts was slightly higher in Banyuwangi than in Surabaya. Of the 570 F&B adverts recorded in Banyuwangi, 227 (39·8 %) and 273 (47·9 %) were for unhealthy foods and beverages, respectively. Of 960 F&B adverts in Surabaya, 271 (28·2 %) and 445 (46·3 %) were for unhealthy foods and beverages. In both regions, F&B advert density increased near gathering places for children and adolescents; all recreational areas had at least one set of advertisements for unhealthy beverages and food at 100-300 and 300-500 m. Both regions had one hotspot with significantly high numbers of unhealthy advertisements; Banyuwangi had one cold spot with a significantly low number of healthy advertisements.

CONCLUSION

Regulations to control advertisements for unhealthy foods and beverages in areas frequented by children and adolescents are urgently needed.

Food and beverage advertising in Hong Kong mass transit railway stations

Objectives:

To examine the extent and characteristics of food and beverage (F&B) promotion in Hong Kong mass transit railway (MTR) stations in districts with different socioeconomic statuses (SES) and school density.

Design:

All advertisements located in the eight selected MTR stations were recorded by photographs or videos, and classified into F&B and non-F&B. The percentage of F&B advertisements and unhealthy F&B being promoted, and common persuasive marketing strategies used in F&B advertisements were compared between low v. high SES districts and school zones v. non-school zones.

Setting:

MTR stations in Hong Kong.

Participants:

Not applicable.

Results:

Of the 8064 advertisements documented, 861 (10·7 %) were F&B advertisements, promoting 1860 F&B items. More than half of the these were unhealthy foods. Stations in high SES districts or school zones tend to advertise more unhealthy items (high v. low SES: 55·8 v. 50·8 %, P = 0·049; school v. non-school: 60·8 v. 49·3 %, P < 0·001). More than one-third of the F&B advertisements recorded did not utilise any of those persuasive marketing techniques that were examined, and using models (13·9 %) or providing discounts (8·8 %) were the two most frequently used non-festival-related persuasive marketing strategies.

Conclusions:

Unhealthy F&B advertising in MTR stations is prevalent regardless of SES and school density, and persuasive marketing strategies were infrequently used. These suggest that a ban on unhealthy F&B advertising around schools or the use of persuasive marketing strategies alone would be ineffective in Hong Kong. To align with the recommendation from WHO, a universal ban of junk food advertising should be enacted.

Where is the fruit? Multidimensional inequalities in food retail environments around public elementary schools

BACKGROUND

The increasing number of convenience and small food stores may be contributing to the rising childhood obesity rate in the United States; however, the literature assessing food environments surrounding elementary schools in this country is relatively limited. This study determines (a) whether the food environments around public elementary schools is of significantly lower quality than those of other areas in the United States and (b) how the quality of the school food environment is associated with local socio-economic factors and geographical components.

METHODS

Data for 52,375 public elementary schools as well as 96,652 convenience stores, 65,044 small food stores, and 44,383 supermarkets/grocery stores were obtained from the National Center of Education Statistics and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A two-sample t test was applied to compare the food environment within 0.5-mile buffer around schools and that in the remaining area of each county. A binomial regression model was constructed to examine the impact of socio-economic and geographical factors on unequal food environments.

RESULTS

The food environment within 0.5 mile around schools is of significantly poorer quality than that of the rest of the test area (p < .001). The quality of the food environment around schools is highly associated with such socio-economic factors as median household income (OR = 1.000, p < .01) and percentage of minority population (OR = 0.989, p < .01). Quality also varies geographically, with poorer quality in the Midwest (OR = 0.722, p < .05) and northeast (OR = 0.328, p < .001) than in the south and west and lower quality in metro counties (OR = 0.627, p < .01) than in rural and nonmetro counties.

CONCLUSION

Our findings stress the importance of awareness for improving food retail environments around elementary schools for the benefit of our children.

Sociodemographic factors are associated with dietary patterns in Mexican schoolchildren

OBJECTIVE

Childhood obesity has increased rapidly in Mexico, along with changes in the food environment. However, little is known about the dietary patterns (DP) of Mexican children. We aimed to characterize the DP of schoolchildren and to analyse their associations with sociodemographic factors.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional analysis. Dietary and sociodemographic information was obtained, including a single 24 h recall, socio-economic status (SES), geographic region, area of residence and ethnicity. DP were defined with cluster analysis (using k-means). Multinomial logistic regression models, adjusted for the survey design, were used to assess associations between DP and sociodemographic variables.

SETTING

2012 Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT-2012).

SUBJECTS

Schoolchildren (n 2751) aged 5-11 years who participated in ENSANUT-2012.

RESULTS

Four DP were identified: 'Traditional', 'Industrialized', 'Varied' and 'Modern'. Reported energy intake (mean (sd)) was lowest in the 'Traditional' and highest in the 'Industrialized' DP (7037 (3707) kJ/d (1682 (886) kcal/d) v. 8427 (3753) kJ/d (2014 (897) kcal/d), respectively, P<0·05). Significant differences in fat and fibre intakes were seen across DP. Non-indigenous v. indigenous children were 22·0 times (95 % CI 5·1, 93·6) more likely to have a 'Modern' rather than 'Traditional' DP. Relative likelihood of having an 'Industrialized' rather than 'Traditional' DP was 6·2 (95 % CI 3·9, 9·9) among schoolchildren from high SES v. low SES.

CONCLUSIONS

Among Mexican schoolchildren, DP were associated with sociodemographic variables. Non-indigenous children were significantly more likely to consume a 'Modern' than a 'Traditional' DP. Children with higher SES were more likely to have an 'Industrialized' pattern. It is necessary to consider dietary characteristics in the different sociodemographic strata when dietary interventions are designed.