Activity space-based measures of the food environment and their relationships to food purchasing behaviours for young urban adults in Canada

AbstractObjectiveTo examine the potential links between activity spaces, the food retail environment and food shopping behaviours for the population of young, urban adults.DesignParticipants took part in the Canada Food Study, which collected information on demographics, food behaviour, diet and health, as well as an additional smartphone study that included a seven-day period of logging GPS (global positioning system) location and food purchases. Using a time-weighted, continuous representation of participant activity spaces generated from GPS trajectory data, the locations of food purchases and a geocoded food retail data set, negative binomial regression models were used to explore what types of food retailers participants were exposed to and where food purchases were made.SettingToronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton and Halifax, Canada.SubjectsYoung adults aged 16–30 years (n 496). These participants were a subset of the larger Canada Food Study.ResultsDemographics, household food shopper status and city of residence were significantly associated with different levels of exposure to various types of food retailers. Food shopping behaviours were also statistically significantly associated with demographics, the activity space-based food environment, self-reported health and city of residence.ConclusionsThe study confirms that food behaviours are related to activity space-based food environment measures, which provide a more comprehensive accounting of food retail exposure than home-based measures. In addition, exposure to food retail and food purchasing behaviours of an understudied population are described.

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Encouraging Organic Food Shopping through Visualization of Personal Shopping Data

10.20944/preprints201907.0353.v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Cecilia Katzeff ◽

Jorge Zapico ◽

Rebecka Milestad ◽

Ulrica Bohné

Keyword(s):

Critical Reflection ◽

Organic Food ◽

Visualization Tool ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

Food Purchases ◽

Food Shopping ◽

Shopping Behaviour ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Food Retailers ◽

Total Sales

Although food retailers have embraced organic certified food products as a way to reduce their environmental loading, organic sales only make up a small proportion of total sales worldwide. Most consumers have positive attitudes towards organic food, but attitudes are not reflected in behaviour. This article addresses consumers’ attitude-behaviour gap regarding their purchase organic food and reports on how visualization of personal shopping data may encourage them to buy more organic food. Through the design of the visualization tool, the EcoPanel, and through an empirical study of its use, we provide evidence on the potential of the tool to promote sustainable food shopping practices. Sixty-five users tested the EcoPanel for five months and interviews were made with ten of these. The test users increased their purchase of organic food with 23%. The informants used the EcoPanel to reflect on their shopping behaviour and to increase their organic shopping. We conclude that the visualization of food purchases stimulates critical reflection and the formation of new food shopping practices. This implies that food retailers may increase sales of organic food through using a visualization tool available for their customers. In this way these retailers may decrease their environmental impact.

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Encouraging Organic Food Consumption through Visualization of Personal Shopping Data

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12093599 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 3599 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Cecilia Katzeff ◽

Rebecka Milestad ◽

Jorge Luis Zapico ◽

Ulrica Bohné

Keyword(s):

Organic Food ◽

Visualization Tool ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

Food Purchases ◽

Food Shopping ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Food Retailers ◽

Organic Food Consumption ◽

Depth Interviews ◽

Total Sales

Although food retailers have embraced organic certified food products as a way to reduce their environmental loading, organic sales only make up a small proportion of total sales worldwide. Most consumers have positive attitudes towards organic food, but attitudes are not reflected in behaviour. This article addresses consumers’ attitude–behaviour gap regarding their purchase of organic food and reports on how visualization of personal shopping data may encourage them to buy more organic food. Through the design of the visualization tool, the EcoPanel, and through an empirical study of its use, we provide evidence on the potential of the tool to promote sustainable food shopping practices. Of 65 users that tested the EcoPanel for five months, in-depth interviews were made with nine of these. The test users increased their purchase of organic food by 23%. The informants used the EcoPanel to reflect on their shopping behaviour and to increase their organic shopping. We conclude that the visualization of food purchases stimulates critical reflection and the formation of new food shopping practices. This implies that food retailers may increase sales of organic food through using a visualization tool available for their customers. In this way, these retailers may decrease their environmental impact.

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Self-Reported Duration of Adherence to a Plant-Based Diet Is Associated With Better Food Purchasing Habits and Behaviors Related to Food Availability

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzab053_040 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 1047-1047

Author(s):

Micaela Karlsen ◽

Kara Livingston ◽

Gail Rogers ◽

Alice Lichtenstein ◽

Sai Das ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Availability ◽

Food Environment ◽

Personal Taste ◽

Food Purchasing ◽

Online Study ◽

Funding Sources ◽

Food Shopping ◽

Home Food ◽

Cooperative Agreements

Abstract Objectives To assess self-reported differences in food purchasing habits and diet-consistent food availability among recent vs. long-term plant-based diet (PBD) followers compared to those who are not actively following a specific diet but report “trying to eat healthy” (TTEH). Methods The sample consisted of PBD (n = 1820, whole-food plant based/vegan) and TTEH (n = 292) followers enrolled in Adhering to Dietary Approaches for Personal Taste (ADAPT), an online study conducted in self-identified popular diet followers. PBD followers were classified as recent (RF) (<2 years, n = 723) or long-term followers (LF) (2 + years, n = 1097). We compared food shopping habits, grocery expenses, and perceived influence of the food environment between RF and LF, as well as to those who self-identified as TTEH (69% reported TTEH for 5 + years). ANCOVA was used to compare the groups adjusting for age and sex. Results Mean BMI was significantly higher in the TTEH (26.3 kg/m2) compared to RF (24.9 kg/m2) and LF (23.0 kg/m2). The majority of all responders (97%) reported they independently shop and prepare food, and 93% reported that it is “extremely easy” to find foods consistent with their diet. A significantly greater proportion of LF compared to RF (91% vs. 86%, P = 0.003) reported food in the home as ‘extremely consistent’ with their diet vs. only 67% of TTEH (P < 0.0001). Sixty-one % of LF, 76% of RF and 93% of TTEH reported having inconsistent food in the home, with 56%, 65% and 88%, respectively, identifying themselves as bringing this food into the home (P < 0.001 for all). No significant differences were observed in reported mean grocery expenses; however, compared to LF and RF, TTEH spent significantly more on meals/snacks purchased outside the home ($54 and $42, respectively). Further adjustment for physical activity, education, marital status and BMI did not alter the findings. Conclusions Individuals following PBD reported greater consistency in the home food environment and lower expenses on food and snacks purchased outside the home compared to TTEH. Cultivating a consistent food environment may help individuals sustain healthier dietary patterns. Funding Sources USDA Cooperative Agreements 58–8050-9–004 and 58–8050-9–003, General Mills Bell Institute of Health & Nutrition.

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Healthy food purchasing among African American youth: associations with child gender, adult caregiver characteristics and the home food environment

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s136898001000251x ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 670-677 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Pamela J Surkan ◽

Anastasia J Coutinho ◽

Karina Christiansen ◽

Lauren A Dennisuk ◽

Sonali Suratkar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Food Environment ◽

Healthy Food ◽

Food Preparation ◽

Healthy Foods ◽

Home Food Environment ◽

Behavioural Intentions ◽

Food Purchasing ◽

Food Purchases ◽

Home Food

AbstractObjectiveTo examine how factors related to the home food environment and individual characteristics are associated with healthy food purchasing among low-income African American (AA) youth.SubjectsA total of 206 AA youth (ninety-one boys and 115 girls), aged 10–14 years, and their primary adult caregivers.SettingFourteen Baltimore recreation centres in low-income neighbourhoods.DesignCross-sectional study. We collected information about food purchasing, the home food environment, sociodemographic and psychosocial factors drawn from social cognitive theory. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the factors associated with the frequency and proportion of healthy food purchases in all youth and stratified by gender. Low-fat or low-sugar foods were defined as healthy.ResultsYouth purchased an average of 1·5 healthy foods (range = 0–15) in the week before the interview, comprising an average of 11·6 % (range = 0–80 %) of total food purchases. The most commonly purchased healthy foods included water and sunflower seeds/nuts. Healthier food-related behavioural intentions were associated with a higher frequency of healthy foods purchased (OR = 1·4, P < 0·05), which was stronger in girls (OR = 1·9, P < 0·01). Greater caregiver self-efficacy for healthy food purchasing/preparation was associated with increased frequency of healthy purchasing among girls (OR = 1·3, P < 0·05). Among girls, more frequent food preparation by a family member (OR = 6·6, P < 0·01) was associated with purchasing a higher proportion of healthy foods. No significant associations were observed for boys.ConclusionsInterventions focused on AA girls should emphasize increasing food-related behavioural intentions. For girls, associations between caregiver self-efficacy and home food preparation suggest the importance of the caregiver in healthy food purchasing.

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Operationalizing Neighborhood Definitions in Health Research

10.1093/oso/9780190843496.003.0002 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Dustin T. Duncan ◽

Seann D. Regan ◽

Basile Chaix

Keyword(s):

Information System ◽

Geographic Information System ◽

Global Positioning System ◽

Health Research ◽

Self Report ◽

Activity Space ◽

Positioning System ◽

Activity Spaces ◽

Global Positioning ◽

Neighborhood Boundaries

Defining neighborhoods for health research continues to be challenging. This chapter discusses different methods to operationalize neighborhood boundaries, including self-report, administrative definitions, geographic information system buffers and activity spaces, including global positioning system (GPS)–defined activity spaces. It discusses the strengths and limitations of each method of examining neighborhood boundaries (e.g., spatial misclassification, technical difficulties, assumptions). Readers are provided with examples of neighborhood definitions frequently applied in the epidemiology and population health literature. In addition, the chapter provides a rigorous overview of theories for selecting neighborhood definitions, including spatial polygamy theory for GPS-defined activity space neighborhoods.

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Food Environments and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Incidence

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18115740 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 5740

Author(s):

Mimi Ton ◽

Michael J. Widener ◽

Peter James ◽

Trang VoPham

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Food Environment ◽

Variance Estimation ◽

Cancer Registries ◽

County Level ◽

Individual Level ◽

Retail Food Environment ◽

Food Retailers ◽

Environment Index ◽

Rate Ratios

Research into the potential impact of the food environment on liver cancer incidence has been limited, though there is evidence showing that specific foods and nutrients may be potential risk or preventive factors. Data on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) cancer registries. The county-level food environment was assessed using the Modified Retail Food Environment Index (mRFEI), a continuous score that measures the number of healthy and less healthy food retailers within counties. Poisson regression with robust variance estimation was used to calculate incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between mRFEI scores and HCC risk, adjusting for individual- and county-level factors. The county-level food environment was not associated with HCC risk after adjustment for individual-level age at diagnosis, sex, race/ethnicity, year, and SEER registry and county-level measures for health conditions, lifestyle factors, and socioeconomic status (adjusted IRR: 0.99, 95% CI: 0.96, 1.01). The county-level food environment, measured using mRFEI scores, was not associated with HCC risk.

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Dopamine D4 receptor gene polymorphism (DRD4 VNTR) moderates real-world behavioural response to the food retail environment in children

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10160-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Catherine Paquet ◽

Andre Krumel Portella ◽

Spencer Moore ◽

Yu Ma ◽

Alain Dagher ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Energy Density ◽

Food Environment ◽

Local Food ◽

Receptor Gene ◽

Environment Interaction ◽

Dopamine D4 Receptor ◽

Vntr Polymorphism ◽

Food Retailers ◽

D4 Receptor ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Evidence for the impact of the food retailing environment on food-related and obesity outcomes remains equivocal, but only a few studies have attempted to identify sub-populations for whom this relationship might be stronger than others. Genetic polymorphisms related to dopamine signalling have been associated with differences in responses to rewards such as food and may be candidate markers to identify such sub-populations. This study sought to investigate whether genetic variation of the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4 exon III 48 bp VNTR polymorphism) moderated the association between local exposure to food retailers on BMI and diet in a sample of 4 to12-year-old children. Methods Data collected from a birth cohort and a community cross-sectional study conducted in Montreal, Canada, were combined to provide DRD4 VNTR polymorphism data in terms of presence of the 7-repeat allele (DRD4-7R) for 322 children aged between 4 and 12 (M (SD): 6.8(2.8) y). Outcomes were Body Mass Index (BMI) for age and energy density derived from a Food Frequency Questionnaire. Food environment was expressed as the proportion of local food retailers classified as healthful within 3 km of participants’ residence. Linear regression models adjusted for age, sex, income, cohort, and geographic clustering were used to test gene*environment interactions. Results A significant gene*food environment interaction was found for energy density with results indicating that DRD4-7R carriers had more energy dense diets than non-carriers, with this effect being more pronounced in children living in areas with proportionally more unhealthy food retailers. No evidence of main or interactive effects of DRD4 VNTR and food environment was found for BMI. Conclusions Results of the present study suggest that a genetic marker related to dopamine pathways can identify children with potentially greater responsiveness to unhealthy local food environment. Future studies should investigate additional elements of the food environment and test whether results hold across different populations.

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Food-Choice Values of Elementary School Children and Strategies Used to Influence Mothers’ Food Purchasing Decisions

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzaa051_017 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 720-720

Author(s):

Nazratun Monalisa ◽

Edward Frongillo ◽

Christine Blake ◽

Susan Steck ◽

Robin DiPietro

Keyword(s):

Elementary School ◽

South Carolina ◽

School Children ◽

Food Choice ◽

Elementary School Children ◽

Healthy Foods ◽

Purchasing Decisions ◽

Food Purchasing ◽

Food Purchases ◽

Children's Strategies

Abstract Objectives This study aimed to understand the values held by elementary school children in constructing food choices and the strategies they used to influence their mothers’ food purchasing decisions. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 40 elementary school children (aged 6–11 years) and their mothers living in South Carolina. Food choice information was collected only from children and strategies to influence mothers’ food purchases were collected from both children and mothers. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and open-coded. Coding matrices were used to compare children's and mothers’ responses on the children's strategies to influence mothers’ food purchasing decisions. Results Children most valued taste, texture, and flavor of the food items, followed by perceived benefits, happiness, craving, following family and friends, the items’ healthfulness, preparation, and presentation when they made food choice decisions. Children reported 157 strategies that they used to influence mothers’ purchasing decisions. Mothers had concordance with 80 strategies that children mentioned. In mother-child dyads, more concordance was observed between mothers and sons than between mothers and daughters. The most common and successful strategies from both the children's and mothers’ perspectives were reasoned requests, repeated polite requests, and referencing friends. Other strategies included offers to contribute money or service, teaming up with siblings, writing a shopping list, and grabbing desired items. Mothers perceived that children had a lot of influence on their food purchasing decisions. Conclusions Children were aware of the strategies that would get positive reactions from their mothers. Mothers’ acknowledgement of children's influence on their food purchase decisions suggests that children can serve as change agents for improving mothers’ food purchases if children prefer healthy foods. Interventions are needed for mothers to help address children's strategies to influence mothers to purchase unhealthy foods and make healthy foods more appealing to children instead of yielding to children's requests for unhealthy items. Funding Sources SPARC grant and Ogoussan Doctoral Research Award from the University of South Carolina.

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Use of Activity Space in a Tuberculosis Outbreak: Bringing Homeless Persons Into Spatial Analyses

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofw280 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Mary Claire Worrell ◽

Michael Kramer ◽

Aliya Yamin ◽

Susan M. Ray ◽

Neela D. Goswami

Keyword(s):

Health Department ◽

Homeless Persons ◽

Activity Space ◽

Exposure Science ◽

Activity Spaces ◽

Space Analysis ◽

Location Data ◽

Density Methods ◽

Us Cities ◽

Traditional Surveillance

Abstract Background Tuberculosis (TB) causes significant morbidity and mortality in US cities, particularly in poor, transient populations. During a TB outbreak in Fulton County, Atlanta, GA, we aimed to determine whether local maps created from multiple locations of personal activity per case would differ significantly from traditional maps created from single residential address. Methods Data were abstracted for patients with TB disease diagnosed in 2008–2014 and receiving care at the Fulton County Health Department. Clinical and activity location data were abstracted from charts. Kernel density methods, activity space analysis, and overlay with homeless shelter locations were used to characterize case spatial distribution when using single versus multiple addresses. Results Data were collected for 198 TB cases, with over 30% homeless US-born cases included. Greater spatial dispersion of cases was found when utilizing multiple versus single addresses per case. Activity spaces of homeless and isoniazid (INH)-resistant cases were more spatially congruent with one another than non-homeless and INH-susceptible cases (P < .0001 and P < .0001, respectively). Conclusions Innovative spatial methods allowed us to more comprehensively capture the geography of TB-infected homeless persons, who made up a large portion of the Fulton County outbreak. We demonstrate how activity space analysis, prominent in exposure science and chronic disease, supports that routine capture of multiple location TB data may facilitate spatially different public health interventions than traditional surveillance maps.

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Where do food desert residents buy most of their junk food? Supermarkets

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s136898001600269x ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 20 (14) ◽

pp. 2608-2616 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Christine A Vaughan ◽

Deborah A Cohen ◽

Madhumita Ghosh-Dastidar ◽

Gerald P Hunter ◽

Tamara Dubowitz

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Food Desert ◽

Healthy Foods ◽

Food Retail ◽

Limited Access ◽

Food Purchases ◽

Convenience Stores ◽

Food And Beverage ◽

Predominantly Female ◽

Access To Healthy Foods

Abstract Objective To examine where residents in an area with limited access to healthy foods (an urban food desert) purchased healthier and less healthy foods. Design Food shopping receipts were collected over a one-week period in 2013. These were analysed to describe where residents shopped for food and what types of food they bought. Setting Two low-income, predominantly African-American neighbourhoods with limited access to healthy foods in Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Subjects Two hundred and ninety-three households in which the primary food shoppers were predominantly female (77·8 %) and non-Hispanic black (91·1 %) adults. Results Full-service supermarkets were by far the most common food retail outlet from which food receipts were returned and accounted for a much larger proportion (57·4 %) of food and beverage expenditures, both healthy and unhealthy, than other food retail outlets. Although patronized less frequently, convenience stores were notable purveyors of unhealthy foods. Conclusions Findings highlight the need to implement policies that can help to decrease unhealthy food purchases in full-service supermarkets and convenience stores and increase healthy food purchases in convenience stores.

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