scholarly journals ‘Nutrition is out of our control’: soldiers’ perceptions of their local food environment

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 2766-2776
Author(s):  
Chizoba L Chukwura ◽  
Theresa Jackson Santo ◽  
Clarice N Waters ◽  
Anne Andrews
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Portion Size ◽  
Common Belief ◽  
Us Army ◽  
The Military ◽  
Nutrition Behaviour

AbstractObjective:To explore the perceptions of soldiers participating in a US Army Office of The Surgeon General’s worksite health promotion programme (WHPP) on the local food environment within their campus-style workplace.Design:Focus groups were conducted to evaluate the perceived effectiveness of the WHPP implementation. Further exploration of focus group data through thematic analysis focused on perceived contributions of the military campus-style food environment to soldiers’ nutrition behaviours.Setting:Three US Army installations located in the continental USA.Participants:Active duty soldiers (n 366) participating in one of the fifty-eight focus groups.Results:Soldiers shared a common belief of self-discipline and personal responsibility as the foothold to nutrition behaviour change. Soldiers described aspects of the military campus-style food environment as factors impeding achievement of optimal nutrition. Collectively, soldiers perceived the proximity and density of fast-food restaurants, lack of healthy alternatives on the installation and the cost of healthy food as inhibitors to choosing healthy foods. Overwhelmingly, soldiers also perceived time constraints as a factor contributing to unhealthy food choices.Conclusions:Although nutrition behaviour is individually driven, soldiers perceived the military campus-style food environment inhibits healthy decision making. Nutrition programming in military WHPP must integrate food environment changes to improve soldiers’ nutrition behaviour outcomes. Applicable to the military, food choice behaviour studies suggest environmental changes must be appealing to young adults. Considerations for environmental changes should include an increased portion size for healthy options, broadened use of soldiers’ daily food allowances on local produce and increased availability of grab-and-go options.

scholarly journals Impact of neighbourhood food environment on diet and obesity in China: a systematic review

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 457-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruopeng An ◽  
Li He ◽  
MS Jing Shen
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Portion Size ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Convenience Stores ◽  
Fast Food Restaurants ◽  
Local Residents

AbstractObjective:This study systematically reviewed literature on the neighbourhood food environment in relation to diet and obesity among residents in China.Design:A keyword search of peer-reviewed articles was performed in Cochrane Library, PubMed, and Web of Science. Eligibility criteria include study designs: longitudinal/cohort studies or cross-sectional studies; study participants: people of all ages; exposures: neighbourhood food environment (e.g. restaurants, supermarkets, wet markets, fast-food restaurants, or convenience stores); outcomes: diet and/or body weight status; and country: China.Results:Seventeen studies met all criteria and were included. Among the eight studies that assessed the neighbourhood food environment in relation to diet, six reported at least one statistically significant relationship in the expected direction, whereas the remaining two exclusively reported null effects. Among the eleven studies that assessed the neighbourhood food environment in relation to body weight or overweight/obesity, ten reported a significant association whereas the remaining one reported a null relationship. Variety, density, and proximity of food outlets were positively associated with local residents’ dietary diversity, portion size, and daily caloric intake. Density and proximity of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores were positively associated with local residents’ adiposity in some but not all studies. Evidence linking any specific food outlet type to diet/obesity remains lacking due to the small number of studies and heterogeneities in food environment measures, geographical locations, and population subgroups.Conclusions:The neighbourhood food environment may influence diet and obesity among Chinese residents but the evidence remains preliminary. Future studies adopting an experimental study design and objective/validated environment and dietary measures are warranted.

scholarly journals Is the local food environment associated with excess body weight in adolescents in São Paulo, Brazil?

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luana Romão Nogueira ◽  
Mariane de Mello Fontanelli ◽  
Breno Souza de Aguiar ◽  
Marcelo Antunes Failla ◽  
Alex Antonio Florindo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Weight Status ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Excess Body Weight ◽  
Sample Population ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Cross Sectional

The obesogenic environment stimulates an inadequate diet by hampering healthy choices. This cross-sectional study evaluated the association between the local food environment and the prevalence of overweight and obesity in a representative sample population of adolescents living in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, using multilevel logistic regression models. Among the adolescents, 29.6% were overweight/obese. There were no significant differences between food environment and adolescents’ weight status. However, the presence of fast food restaurants near their home increased the chances of being overweight or obese (OR = 2.53; 95%CI: 1.02-6.27). Results suggest the need to intensify food and nutrition policies, development of culinary skills, and the reduction in prices of healthy foods to facilitate access to these foods, so that adolescents have options in locations to socialize with friends and family.

Abstract P266: The Local Food Environment and Obesity: A Systematic Review

Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 131 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura K Cobb ◽  
Lawrence J Appel ◽  
Manuel Franco ◽  
Jessica C Jones-Smith ◽  
Cheryl A Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Food Availability ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Grocery Stores ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Study Quality ◽  
The Us ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Introduction: Numerous studies have explored the relationship of the local food environment and obesity. However, results have been inconsistent, and existing literature reviews have not taken into account study quality or the heterogeneity of measures of the local food environment. Methods: We used systematic keyword searches in Pubmed and Scopus to identify studies conducted in the US and Canada that assessed the relationship of obesity to the local availability of supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, fast food restaurants or indices combining these measures. We developed a quality metric based on study design, exposure and outcome measurement and analysis, and then assigned each study a score. Results: We identified 71 studies representing 65 cohorts. Overall, study quality was low; 60 studies were cross-sectional. The approach to measuring local food environments varied: fast food availability was measured 31 ways in 44 studies. Associations between food outlet availability and obesity were predominantly null. In adults, we saw a trend among the non-null associations toward inverse associations between supermarket availability and obesity (22 inverse, 4 direct, 67 null) and direct associations between fast food and obesity (29 direct, 6 inverse, 71 null). In children, we saw robust direct associations between fast food availability and obesity in lower income populations only (12 direct, 7 null). In adults, indices made up of multiple types of outlets had resulted in the most consistent associations with obesity (18 expected, 23 null). Limiting analyses to higher quality studies did not affect results. Conclusions: We found limited evidence for associations between the local food environment and obesity. Quality issues, however, make causal inference difficult. Absent compelling direct evidence linking local food environments to obesity, policy makers will need to rely on other types of evidence as they address the environmental changes that contribute to the steep increase in obesity in the US.

scholarly journals Association between fast food purchasing and the local food environment

2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (12) ◽  
pp. e53-e53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lukar E Thornton ◽  
A M Kavanagh
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Food Purchasing

Food Services Menu Engineering: Preference, Acceptability, and Popularity Index of Local Food Package Menus to Control the Glycemic Responses of T2DM Subjects

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 1119-1129
Author(s):  
Nurul Hakimah ◽  
Nur Rahman ◽  
Sucipto Sucipto ◽  
Wignyanto Wignyanto ◽  
Aulanni'am Aulanni'am
Keyword(s):  
Local Food ◽  
Food Service ◽  
Nutrient Content ◽  
Portion Size ◽  
Food Type ◽  
Glycemic Response ◽  
Good Glycemic Control ◽  
Engineering Data ◽  
Food Package ◽  
Post Test

Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the menu engineering data: preferences, acceptances, and popularity indexes of local food package menus with low to moderate glycemic index and how these variables affect the glycemic response of subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: This study was a one group pre and post-test experimental study with 21 T2DM participants. A total of 1,764 menu engineering data were obtained during the two-week study period. Fifteen food service survey questions were distributed and anthropometric and glycemic responses were measured. Results: The popularity indexes of the main and snack package menus were significantly different (p=0,000). There was a significant decrease (p<0.05) in Δ RBG levels by 59.6±115.8 mg/ dL (26.7%) and Δ % albumin glycated by 1.5±1.0 (6.1%) (p = 0.000) on 38% subjects with good glycemic control who consumed less food outside the study (12.5%). Price, type of food, type of foodstuff, nutrient content, portion size, food appearance, food texture, GI values, food menu name, and menu conformity to the environment were important considerations in the menu preference and popularity. Conclusion: This study showed that the local food package menu can control the glycemic response of T2DM participants while having a high popularity index. This finding provides an opportunity for the foodservice industry to operate sustainably by considering the factors desired by consumers with T2DM in controlling their long-term glycemic response.

scholarly journals A Time-Based Objective Measure of Exposure to the Food Environment

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 1180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Scully ◽  
Anne Moudon ◽  
Philip Hurvitz ◽  
Anju Aggarwal ◽  
Adam Drewnowski
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Objective Measure ◽  
Mobility Patterns ◽  
Time Duration ◽  
Positioning Systems ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
Fast Food Restaurants ◽  
Logistic Regressions ◽  
The Relationship

Exposure to food environments has mainly been limited to counting food outlets near participants’ homes. This study considers food environment exposures in time and space using global positioning systems (GPS) records and fast food restaurants (FFRs) as the environment of interest. Data came from 412 participants (median participant age of 45) in the Seattle Obesity Study II who completed a survey, wore GPS receivers, and filled out travel logs for seven days. FFR locations were obtained from Public Health Seattle King County and geocoded. Exposure was conceptualized as contact between stressors (FFRs) and receptors (participants’ mobility records from GPS data) using four proximities: 21 m, 100 m, 500 m, and ½ mile. Measures included count of proximal FFRs, time duration in proximity to ≥1 FFR, and time duration in proximity to FFRs weighted by FFR counts. Self-reported exposures (FFR visits) were excluded from these measures. Logistic regressions tested associations between one or more reported FFR visits and the three exposure measures at the four proximities. Time spent in proximity to an FFR was associated with significantly higher odds of FFR visits at all proximities. Weighted duration also showed positive associations with FFR visits at 21-m and 100-m proximities. FFR counts were not associated with FFR visits. Duration of exposure helps measure the relationship between the food environment, mobility patterns, and health behaviors. The stronger associations between exposure and outcome found at closer proximities (<100 m) need further research.

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

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.

scholarly journals Local Retail Food Environment and Consumption of Fruit and Vegetable among Adults in Hong Kong

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 2247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting Zhang ◽  
Bo Huang
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Fast Food ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Grocery Stores ◽  
Fruit Consumption ◽  
Retail Food Environment ◽  
Convenience Stores ◽  
Fast Food Restaurants ◽  
Retail Food

Outside of western countries, the study of the local food environment and evidence for its association with dietary behavior is limited. The aim of this paper was to examine the association between the local retail food environment and consumption of fruit and vegetables (FV) among adults in Hong Kong. Local retail food environment was measured by density of different types of retail food outlets (grocery stores, convenience stores, and fast food restaurants) within a 1000 m Euclidean buffer around individual’s homes using a geographic information system (GIS). The Retail Food Environment Index (RFEI) was calculated based on the relative density of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores to grocery stores. Logistic regressions were performed to examine associations using cross-sectional data of 1977 adults (18 years or older). Overall, people living in an area with the highest RFEI (Q4, >5.76) had significantly greater odds of infrequent FV consumption (<7 days/week) after covariates adjustment (infrequent fruit consumption: OR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.04–1.78; infrequent vegetable consumption: OR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.11–2.68) in comparison to the lowest RFEI (Q1, <2.25). Highest density of fast food restaurants (Q4, >53) was also significantly associated with greater odds of infrequent fruit consumption (<7 days/week) (unadjusted model: OR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.04–1.73), relative to lowest density of fast food restaurants (Q1, <13). No significant association of density of grocery stores or convenience stores was observed with infrequent FV consumption regardless of the covariates included in the model. Our results suggest that the ratio of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores to grocery stores near people’s home is an important environmental factor in meeting fruit and vegetable consumption guidelines. “Food swamps” (areas with an abundance of unhealthy foods) rather than “food deserts” (areas where there is limited access to healthy foods) seems to be more of a problem in Hong Kong’s urban areas. We advanced international literature by providing evidence in a non-western setting.

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