Development of the University Food Environment Assessment (Uni-Food) Tool and Process to Benchmark the Healthiness, Equity, and Environmental Sustainability of University Food Environments

Globally, there is increasing interest in monitoring actions to create healthy, equitable and environmentally sustainable food environments. Currently, there is a lack of detailed tools for monitoring and benchmarking university food environments. This study aimed to develop the University Food Environment Assessment (Uni-Food) tool and process to benchmark the healthiness, equity, and environmental sustainability of food environments in tertiary education settings, and pilot test its implementation in three Australian universities in 2021. The Uni-Food tool development was informed by a review of the literature and input from an expert advisory panel. It comprises three components: 1) university systems and governance, 2) campus facilities and environments, and 3) food retail outlets. The process for implementing the tool is designed for universities to self-assess the extent to which they have implemented recommended practice in 68 indicators, across 16 domains, weighted based on their relative importance. The pilot implementation of the tool identified moderate diversity in food environments across universities and highlighted several opportunities for improvements at each institution. The assessment process was found to be reliable, with assessors rating the tool as easy to use, requiring minimal resources. Broad application of the tool has the potential to increase accountability and guide best practice in tertiary education and other complex institutional settings.

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Evaluating food-related policies in Germany using the Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI)

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa165.1084 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

K Geffert ◽

P von Philipsborn ◽

J M Stratil ◽

E A Rehfuess

Keyword(s):

Food Environment ◽

Food Systems ◽

Best Practice ◽

Online Survey ◽

Food Environments ◽

Expert Group ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

Environment Policy ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

German Food

Abstract Background Germany has seen as rising burden of diet-related adverse health outcomes. Policies for improving food environments and related infrastructure are essential to reduce this burden. A growing awareness of the interlinkages between sustainability and nutrition underlines the need for healthy, sustainable food environments. Therefore, we applied the Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) with an additional domain on sustainability to monitor German food policies and to formulate actions for improvement. Methods For the evidence analysis information on food environment and infrastructure was collected from various sources. Results were validated with an expert group consisting of representatives of government agencies, non-governmental organizations and academia. The level of implementation, compared to international best practice examples, was ranked by the expert group through an online survey. A one-day workshop was conducted to identify actions to fill the gaps identified in the online ranking and to prioritize these actions in terms of importance and achievability. Results The application of the Food-EPI to German policies and interventions shows a nuanced picture of strengths and weaknesses of the German food environment and infrastructure. Some domains such as monitoring and surveillance are in line with international best practice, however other domains show considerable room for improvement. The recommended actions to improve the shortcomings of the German food environment includes a list with priority actions. Conclusions The results from the Food-EPI provides an in-depth analysis of German food environment policies and infrastructure, as well as a list of prioritized actions to improve it. Key message Integrating a sustainability domain into the Food-EPI offers opportunities to identify priority actions for the creation of healthy, sustainable food systems.

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Exploring Undergraduate Indigenous Students’ Experiences with Institutional and Community Food Systems in a Canadian Urban Setting

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzaa043_103 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 252-252

Author(s):

Hannah Neufeld ◽

Hannah Wilson

Keyword(s):

Focus Group ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Food Environment ◽

Food Systems ◽

Local Food ◽

Urban Setting ◽

Food Environments ◽

Indigenous Students ◽

Community Food Systems ◽

The University

Abstract Objectives Due to the high prevalence rates of food insecurity among university students and Indigenous Peoples in Canada, a qualitative study was designed to investigate the experiences of self-identified Indigenous students accessing local food environments. Research objectives included: 1) exploring undergraduate Indigenous students' experiences with institutional and community food systems in an urban setting; and 2) examining programs in place or in development on and off-campus that address circumstances of food insecurity and the needs of Indigenous students. Methods Data collection included face-to-face semi-structured interviews with eight students who self-identified as First Nations, Inuit or Métis. A focus group was conducted with four service providers, including stakeholders from institutional and local urban communities. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. Results Participants identified several themes that were organized into individual, interpersonal organizational and community levels according to the socio-ecological model. Themes included: food and nutrition knowledge, financial capacity, convenience, social influences, campus food environment, cultural and institutional support. A model was also created to represent the results based on the themes from the focus group data. Focus group participants discussed linkages of social support and connectedness to increase Indigenous student access to food systems beyond the parameters of the university institution. Barriers to local food systems for students were lack of awareness of local resources and stigma associated with emergency food assistance. Conclusions Results suggest that Indigenous students are primarily focused on individual food and interpersonal social environments at the university and have limited awareness and exposure to the services available in the wider community and local food environment. Indigenous students and community members require an increased level of organizational and community awareness to support urban Indigenous food security programming across food environments to sustainably address circumstances of food insecurity experienced by Indigenous university students. Funding Sources The Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, The University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.

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Prevalence of food insecurity and satisfaction with on-campus food choices among Australian university students

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education ◽

10.1108/ijshe-09-2020-0348 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Sandra Murray ◽

Corey Peterson ◽

Carmen Primo ◽

Catherine Elliott ◽

Margaret Otlowski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

University Students ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Student Perceptions ◽

Food Environment ◽

Local Food ◽

Food Choices ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

Content Type ◽

The University

Purpose Food insecurity and poor access to healthy food is known to compromise tertiary studies in university students, and food choices are linked to student perceptions of the campus food environment. The purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence, demographic and education characteristics associated with food insecurity in a sample of Australian university students and their satisfaction with on-campus food choices. Design/methodology/approach An online, cross-sectional survey conducted as part of the bi-annual sustainability themed survey was conducted at the University of Tasmania in March 2020. A single-item measure was used to assess food insecurity in addition to six demographic and education characteristics and four questions about the availability of food, affordable food, sustainable food and local food on campus. Findings Survey data (n = 1,858) were analysed using bivariate analyses and multivariate binary logistic regression. A total of 38% of respondents (70% female; 80% domestic student; 42% aged 18–24 years) were food insecure. Overall, 41% of students were satisfied with the food available on campus. Nearly, half (47%) of food insecure students were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the availability of affordable food on campus. A minority of students were satisfied with the availability of sustainable food (37%) and local food (33%) on campus. Originality/value These findings demonstrate a high prevalence of food insecurity and deficits in the university food environment, which can inform the development of strategies to improve the food available on campus, including affordable, sustainable and local options.

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Store Environment Assessment (SEA) Tool: Design and validation of a food environment audit protocol

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.235 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

E Jago ◽

L Minaker ◽

C L Mah

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Food Environment ◽

Disease Risk ◽

Tool Design ◽

Food Environments ◽

Audit Tool ◽

Environment Assessment ◽

Research Questions ◽

Store Environment ◽

Retail Food

Abstract Background Unhealthy food environments are key factors in diet-related disease risk. Many audit methods have been designed for the retail food environment, but weaknesses of existing methods include: validity in study methods and design, and heterogeneity in adaptation and analysis methods. This paper describes the development and validation of a novel protocol for designing store audit instruments - the Store Environment Assessment (SEA) Tool. Methods This research involved four steps: 1. a scoping review of consumer food environment audit tools; 2. classify key variables from the literature; 3. use the variables to design a protocol for development of audit instruments tailored to local contexts and research questions; and 4. validate the protocol by designing and validating a sample audit tool based on Canada's Food Guide (2019). Results Variables from the literature included: Product (availability, variety, size, reference), Price, Promotion, Placement-accompanied by: definition, type of variable, range of values, scale of measurement, and measurement outcome. The protocol has seven steps: identify dietary guideline criteria; conduct content analysis; define setting; align research questions with scale and scope; variable selection; audit tool design; and validation strategy. The protocol was used to design a store audit instrument for Canadian jurisdictions, based on Canada's Food Guide, and validated against the gold standard, Nutrition Environment Measures Survey (NEMS). Discussion The SEA protocol can strengthen researchers and practitioners' capacity to use structured guidelines to develop geographically and socio-demographically relevant Store Environment Assessments, and avoid heterogeneity arising from ad hoc adaptations of tools such as NEMS. Our methodological approach can support greater consistency, feasibility, and rigour of food environment audits for diverse public health research and practice objectives. Key messages Researchers and practitioners will be able to utilize the SEA tool protocol, using jurisdictional food and nutrition criteria, to better assess 4Ps related to food, in retail food environments. The variables and measurement outcomes included in the SEA tool protocol will support public health practitioners in developing relevant interventions to support healthy consumer food purchasing.

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Level of implementation of best practice policies for creating healthy food environments: assessment by state and non-state actors in Thailand

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980016002391 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 381-390 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Sirinya Phulkerd ◽

Stefanie Vandevijvere ◽

Mark Lawrence ◽

Viroj Tangcharoensathien ◽

Gary Sacks

Keyword(s):

Food Environment ◽

Best Practice ◽

Food Policy ◽

Food Composition ◽

Healthy Food ◽

Food Environments ◽

Policy Dialogue ◽

Policy Coherence ◽

Thai Government ◽

State Actors

AbstractObjectiveTo determine and compare the level of implementation of policies for healthy food environments in Thailand with reference to international best practice by state and non-state actors.DesignData on the current level of implementation of food environment policies were assessed independently using the adapted Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) by two groups of actors. Concrete actions were proposed for Thai Government. A joint meeting between both groups was subsequently held to reach consensus on priority actions.SettingThailand.SubjectsThirty state actors and twenty-seven non-state actors.ResultsLevel of policy implementation varied across different domains and actor groups. State actors rated implementation levels higher than non-state actors. Both state and non-state actors rated level of implementation of monitoring of BMI highest. Level of implementation of policies promoting in-store availability of healthy foods and policies increasing tax on unhealthy foods were rated lowest by state and non-state actors, respectively. Both groups reached consensus on eleven priority actions for implementation, focusing on food provision in public-sector settings, food composition, food promotion, leadership, monitoring and intelligence, and food trade.ConclusionsAlthough the implementation gaps identified and priority actions proposed varied between state and non-state actors, both groups achieved consensus on a comprehensive food policy package to be implemented by the Thai Government to improve the healthiness of food environments. This consensus is a platform for continued policy dialogue towards cross-sectoral policy coherence and effective actions to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and obesity in Thailand.

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Disruptive innovation and operationalization in local and sustainable food systems: Examining the University of Toronto-Local Food Plus partnership

Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation ◽

10.15353/cfs-rcea.v6i1.269 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 120-139

Author(s):

Lori Stahlbrand

Keyword(s):

Food Systems ◽

Large Scale ◽

Food System ◽

Local Food ◽

Disruptive Innovation ◽

Government Support ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

University Of Toronto ◽

The University

This paper traces the partnership between the University of Toronto and the non-profit Local Food Plus (LFP) to bring local sustainable food to its St. George campus. At its launch, the partnership represented the largest purchase of local sustainable food at a Canadian university, as well as LFP’s first foray into supporting institutional procurement of local sustainable food. LFP was founded in 2005 with a vision to foster sustainable local food economies. To this end, LFP developed a certification system and a marketing program that matched certified farmers and processors to buyers. LFP emphasized large-scale purchases by public institutions. Using information from in-depth semi-structured key informant interviews, this paper argues that the LFP project was a disruptive innovation that posed a challenge to many dimensions of the established food system. The LFP case study reveals structural obstacles to operationalizing a local and sustainable food system. These include a lack of mid-sized infrastructure serving local farmers, the domination of a rebate system of purchasing controlled by an oligopolistic foodservice sector, and embedded government support of export agriculture. This case study is an example of praxis, as the author was the founder of LFP, as well as an academic researcher and analyst.

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Food procurement in English-language Canadian public schools: Opportunities and challenges

Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l alimentation ◽

10.15353/cfs-rcea.v6i1.265 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (1) ◽

pp. 75-99

Author(s):

Shawna Holmes

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Food Environment ◽

Nutritional Quality ◽

English Language ◽

Nutrient Content ◽

Food Environments ◽

School Food ◽

Provincial Level ◽

School Food Environment

This paper examines the changes to procurement for school food environments in Canada as a response to changes to nutrition regulations at the provincial level. Interviews with those working in school food environments across Canada revealed how changes to the nutrition requirements of foods and beverages sold in schools presented opportunities to not only improve the nutrient content of the items made available in school food environments, but also to include local producers and/or school gardens in procuring for the school food environment. At the same time, some schools struggle to procure nutritionally compliant foods due to increased costs associated with transporting produce to rural, remote, or northern communities as well as logistic difficulties like spoilage. Although the nutrition regulations have facilitated improvements to food environments in some schools, others require more support to improve the overall nutritional quality of the foods and beverages available to students at school.

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Hope and Positive Development in the Third Decade of Life. A Theoretical Perspective on Tertiary Education Students in Cameroon

10.31237/osf.io/udqjw ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Fariha Azalea

Keyword(s):

Emerging Adults ◽

Tertiary Education ◽

Theoretical Perspective ◽

Positive Development ◽

Education Students ◽

The Third ◽

Academic Activities ◽

Transition Into Adulthood ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

The University

University is relatively considered a stressful moment in the life of students due to numerous academic workloads and academic activities. The situation is further aggravated by the fact that some university students are in emerging adulthood, a developmental period which is psychologically fraught with uncertainty, instability and identity issues among others. Added to these, the context of most universities like Cameroon which is marred with political, economic and social turbulence common to other developing societies in the sub Saharan region makes life unbearable. Looking at the challenges that confront tertiary education students in the third decade of life, increases possibilities of fears that they will founder thus narrowing the route to a blossomed transition into adulthood and through the university from home into the world of work. However, observations reveal that some have remained hopeful as they continuously believe in themselves and their worth. As such, they have resiliently shrugged off the vast burden placed on them by the adult society as they struggle intentionally with continuous efforts to succeed. Being hopeful and self-efficacy beliefs are observed to be some of the effective drivers that pull emerging adults through the storms of university transition thus facilitating positive development into subsequent life stages. Unfortunately just a paucity of literature albeit theoretically actually narrates via scholarly corridors the monumental successes recorded by students as they sail flourishingly through university in the midst of storms an in the third decade of life. This paper examines and addresses the foregoing through the lenses of some theories.

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Shaping Physical, Economic, and Policy Components of the Food Environment to Create Sustainable Healthy Diets

Food and Nutrition Bulletin ◽

10.1177/0379572120945904 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (2_suppl) ◽

pp. 74S-86S

Author(s):

Adam Drewnowski ◽

Eva C. Monterrosa ◽

Saskia de Pee ◽

Edward A. Frongillo ◽

Stefanie Vandevijvere

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Food Environment ◽

Food System ◽

Well Being ◽

Food Environments ◽

Healthy Foods ◽

Equitable Access ◽

Nutrition Labels ◽

Healthy Diets ◽

Physical Spaces

Background: Sustainable healthy diets are those dietary patterns that promote all dimensions of individuals’ health and well-being; have low environmental pressure and impact; are accessible, affordable, safe, and equitable; and are culturally acceptable. The food environment, defined as the interface between the wider food system and consumer’s food acquisition and consumption, is critical for ensuring equitable access to foods that are healthy, safe, affordable, and appealing. Discussion: Current food environments are creating inequities, and sustainable healthy foods are generally more accessible for those of higher socioeconomic status. The physical, economic, and policy components of the food environment can all be acted on to promote sustainable healthy diets. Physical spaces can be modified to improve relative availability (ie, proximity) of food outlets that carry nutritious foods in low-income communities; to address economic access certain actions may improve affordability, such as fortification, preventing food loss through supply chain improvements; and commodity specific vouchers for fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Other policy actions that address accessibility to sustainable healthy foods are comprehensive marketing restrictions and easy-to-understand front-of-pack nutrition labels. While shaping food environments will require concerted action from all stakeholders, governments and private sector bear significant responsibility for ensuring equitable access to sustainable healthy diets.

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COVID-19 As an Opportunity for a Healthy-Sustainable Food Transition. An Analysis of Dietary Transformations during the First Italian Lockdown

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13105661 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (10) ◽

pp. 5661

Author(s):

Raffaele Matacena ◽

Mariangela Zenga ◽

Marco D’Addario ◽

Silvia Mari ◽

Massimo Labra

Keyword(s):

Environmental Sustainability ◽

Economic Status ◽

Generational Cohort ◽

Current Crisis ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Sustainable Food ◽

Household Level ◽

Daily Food ◽

Production And Consumption ◽

The Impact

The COVID-19 emergency and the consequent social distancing requirements have caused major disruptions in daily food-related practices at the household level. In this paper, we evaluate the transformations that occurred in the daily nutritional choices and behaviors of a convenience sample (n = 2288) of Italian residents during the first nation-wide lockdown (March–May 2020) to assess the impact on the health and socio-environmental sustainability of their diets. Results portray a scenario of wide-spread change, especially in relation to the quantity of daily food consumed, the composition of diets and the time and commitment devoted to home-cooking, with young individuals emerging as the most impacted generational cohort. Through the construction of an indicator for healthy–sustainable transition (HST index), we demonstrate that such changes unfold on a gradient, revealing that while for many respondents lockdown nutrition implied overeating and weight gain, a substantial segment of the population conversely improved the healthiness and sustainability of their daily nutritional patterns. In this sense, improvements are associated with young age, socio-economic status, frequency and enjoyment of cooking-from-scratch and, more generally, an attentive attitude towards the quality, provenance and materiality of food that, in turn, the COVID-19 crisis appears to have re-kindled. We conclude by highlighting five areas of institutional intervention (i.e., young people, time, tools, food supply at work, and local food chains) on which to focus in order to ensure the current crisis does not represent a missed opportunity for creating the necessary conditions for sustainable food production and consumption to take hold as the ‘new’ normal in the post-pandemic era.

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