A systematic review of the Australian food retail environment: Characteristics, variation by geographic area, socioeconomic position and associations with diet and obesity

Needham, Cindy; Sacks, Gary; Orellana, Liliana; Robinson, Ella; Allender, Steven; Strugnell, Claudia

doi:10.1111/obr.12941

Cited by 29 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 95 publications

(268 reference statements)

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“…Contrasting findings from studies examining the food environment emphasise the need to examine the food environment holistically [21]. The most common food outlet type to be measured is supermarkets and fast-food, leaving a vast array of food outlet types unaccounted for [21]. Whilst absolute measures of access to food outlets (i.e., only a single type, or comparison of two types of food outlets), such as supermarkets, may provide some understanding of the availability of fruit and vegetables within an area, access to other food sources in the broader food environment is needed to identify disparities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Evidence also suggests that fast-food outlet exposure is associated with obesity in Australia [15][16][17]. Variations in food environments across geographic areas [18][19][20][21] have been reported that could help explain disparities in adult obesity prevalence.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although few studies have utilized relative measures, those that have report consistent findings in the expected direction (i.e., healthier food environments associated with healthier dietary factors) more often than those using absolute measures. This suggests that the ratio of healthy to unhealthy food stores could be a better predictor of food purchasing and consumption behaviours, and that getting this balance right may be key to prevention efforts [14,21,22]. However, using a dichotomous classification requires classifying food outlets into either category, which often leads to exclusion of food outlets that do not meet either criteria, reducing the validity of studies seeking to determine the influential nature of the food environment [5][6][7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Numerous studies have sought to identify whether disparities in spatial access to food within the food environment exist across various measures at a single time point [28,29]. Despite the growing number of studies, the evidence as to the mechanism behind disparities forming within food environments is inadequate, emphasising the need for longitudinal studies which are currently lacking [21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Food Retail Environments in Greater Melbourne 2008–2016: Longitudinal Analysis of Intra-City Variation in Density and Healthiness of Food Outlets

Needham

Orellana

Allender

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Obesity prevalence is inequitably distributed across geographic areas. Food environments may contribute to health disparities, yet little is known about how food environments are evolving over time and how this may influence dietary intake and weight. This study aimed to analyse intra-city variation in density and healthiness of food outlets between 2008 and 2016 in Melbourne, Australia. Food outlet data were classified by location, type and healthiness. Local government areas (LGAs) were classified into four groups representing distance from the central business district. Residential population estimates for each LGA were used to calculate the density of food outlets per 10,000 residents. Linear mixed models were fitted to estimate the mean density and ratio of ‘healthy’ to ‘unhealthy’ food outlets and food outlet ‘types’ by LGA group over time. The number of food outlets increased at a faster rate than the residential population, driven by an increasing density of both ‘unhealthy’ and ‘healthy’ outlets. Across all years, ratios of ‘unhealthy’ to ‘healthy’ outlets were highest in LGAs located in designated Growth Areas. Melbourne’s metropolitan food environment is saturated by ‘unhealthy’ and ‘less healthy’ food outlets, relative to ‘healthy’ ones. Melbourne’s urban growth areas had the least healthy food environments.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Food Retail Environments in Greater Melbourne 2008–2016: Longitudinal Analysis of Intra-City Variation in Density and Healthiness of Food Outlets

Needham

Orellana

Allender

et al. 2020

IJERPH

Self Cite

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Food store accessibility affects nutritional intake through shopping frequency and food intake in middle‐aged to older adults in rural Nagasaki, Japan

Kosaka

Nakao

Goto

et al. 2022

American J Hum Biol

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Objectives The food environment is an important determinant of dietary and nutritional intake, but studies thus far have reported mixed results. We examined associations between food store accessibility and nutritional intake among middle‐aged to older adults in rural Japan using data from a questionnaire survey of national health insurance enrollees. Methods The survey was conducted in Nagasaki, Japan, for individuals aged 40–74 years. Direct distances from home and food store density were estimated using a geographic information system (GIS). We focused on protein, vitamin D, and calcium intake for their preventive effects on frailty and sarcopenia. To examine the effects of food store accessibility on nutritional intake, we hypothesized a model with a chain of associations of food store accessibility, shopping frequency, food intake frequency, and nutritional intake. We performed a path analyses to explore the food items to be included in the models, associations between the variables, and fitness of the models. Results We obtained final models with satisfactory fit indices. The resultant models included significant associations between: 1) accessibility indicators and shopping frequency, 2) shopping frequency and intake frequency for two or four categories of food, and 3) intake frequency and nutritional intake. Conclusions The results demonstrated that accessibility to food stores, assessed in terms of direct distance from home and food store density, can affect the intake of protein, vitamin D, and calcium through the effect on shopping frequency and intake frequency of some categories of food items, among middle‐aged to older adults in Nagasaki, Japan.

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The community food environment and its association with diet, health or weight status in Australia: A systematic review with recommendations for future research

Bivoltsis

Christian

Ambrosini

et al. 2022

Health Prom J of Aust

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Issue addressed This study systematically reviewed Australian literature to determine if an association exists between geospatial exposure to food outlets and diet, health or weight status. Recommendations for future research are provided. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted in December 2021 using CINAHL Plus, PubMed and Web of Science databases. Data were extracted, as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines. Study quality was assessed using an eight‐item checklist. A descriptive synthesis of study characteristics and findings was carried out, stratified via study outcomes. Results Of the 36 included articles, the majority were from Victoria (n = 19), involving adult participants (n = 30) and cross‐sectional in design (n = 27). Overall, associations were mainly null (nonsignificant) for diet (80%), weight status (75%) and health outcomes (90%). Significant findings were mixed with no positive trend with study quality. Conclusions Six recommendations are suggested to address current knowledge gaps and limitations in the Australian evidence base: (1) Conduct research on different populations; (2) Employ robust study designs that can test the impact of change over time; (3) Improve the accuracy of food outlet data sources; (4) Improve food outlet geospatial exposure measures; (5) Improve measurement of outcome variables; and (6) Incorporate theoretical models into study design and data analysis. So what? Improving the quality and consistency of research will be critical to informing locally relevant policy. Despite the present limitations in the evidence base, it is reasonable to assume that decisions to purchase and consume food are driven by availability and access. Thus, policy and planning aimed at improving the overall “healthiness” of the community food environment by increasing access to healthy food outlets is warranted to ensure that healthy options are easier choice for all.

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A systematic review of the Australian food retail environment: Characteristics, variation by geographic area, socioeconomic position and associations with diet and obesity

Cited by 29 publications

References 95 publications

Food Retail Environments in Greater Melbourne 2008–2016: Longitudinal Analysis of Intra-City Variation in Density and Healthiness of Food Outlets

Food Retail Environments in Greater Melbourne 2008–2016: Longitudinal Analysis of Intra-City Variation in Density and Healthiness of Food Outlets

Food store accessibility affects nutritional intake through shopping frequency and food intake in middle‐aged to older adults in rural Nagasaki, Japan

The community food environment and its association with diet, health or weight status in Australia: A systematic review with recommendations for future research

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