An Indicator Measuring the Influence of the Online Public Food Environment: An Analytical Framework and Case Study

Abstract

The online public food environment (OPFE) has had a considerable impact on people's lifestyles over the past decade; however, research on its exposure is sparse. The results of the existing research on the impact of the food environment on human health are inconsistent. In response to the lack of food elements in the definition of the food environment and the lack of a clear method to assess the health attributes and the impact degree of the food environment, we proposed a new analytical framework based on the latest disease burden research, combining the characteristics of China's current food environment, from the perspective of environmental science. We redefined the food environment and proposed that food and its physical space are two core elements of the food environment. Accordingly, we extracted four domains of characteristics to describe the basic components of the food environment. Using the sales records, we designed an approach by referring to the standard process of environmental health indicators, including the health attributes and the impact degree of the food environment, to measure the OPFE of takeaway food outlets. Further, we conducted a case study and extracted three domains of characteristics for more than 18,000 effective takeaway meals from 812 takeaway food outlets located in 10 administrative subdivisions in the Haidian District and Xicheng District of Beijing Municipality. The results showed that more than 60% of single meals sold by takeaway food outlets were considered as healthy, and only 15% of takeaway food outlets sold healthy meals exclusively. Additionally, there were significant differences in health effects among different types of food environments, and high-risk areas of different types of food environments can be spatially identified. Compared with the counting method in the availability of food environment, the proposed new approach can depict food environment characteristics not only in the macro-scale like the counting method but also in the meal-scale. The indicators could be useful for large-scale and long-term monitoring of food environmental changes due to their simple calculation and design depending on the food delivery platform.

The potential influence of the digital food retail environment on health: A systematic scoping review of the literature

“…Nine of these studies examined the characteristics of online food delivery platform users, with the remaining 13 studies examining the characteristics of the platforms themselves, such as the in‐app promotional marketing, the healthiness of products offered, and their food availability across different geographical areas 68,69,71,73–77,80,82,83,86,87 …”

“…Nine of these studies examined the characteristics of online food delivery platform users, with the remaining 13 studies examining the characteristics of the platforms themselves, such as the in-app promotional marketing, the healthiness of products offered, and their food availability across different geographical areas. 68,69,71,[73][74][75][76][77]80,82,83,86,87 The studies that examined the users of online food delivery platforms were based in the United Kingdom, 79,81 Australia, 70,84 Malaysia, 72 Saudi Arabia, 67 Singapore, 85 the United States, 40 and multiple high income countries. 78 Two studies examined the influence of online food delivery platforms on dietary habits during COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, 67,85 one study examined the in-app advertising of online food delivery platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic, 75 and one study examined what food items were promoted on online food delivery platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Opportunities To Achieve Healthy, Sustainable Food Choices in China Through Behavior Change

“…For example, an analysis of Shanghai residents' food intake patterns shows greater intake of calories and fat among diners who regularly consume institutional catering, while those who frequently eat in restaurants consume more sodium (Zang et al 2018). Other data, however, have shown that, contrary to common assumptions, food from online delivery is not always necessarily unhealthy, with set meals (e.g., with rice, meat or eggs, and vegetables as the main components), noodles, and dumplings accounting for nearly 80 percent of all meals ordered online (Cong et al 2022).…”

Association between sugar‐free beverage intake and childhood obesity among Chinese children and adolescents

“…In China, the prevalence of overweight/obesity among children aged 6–17 was 19% in 2016. Obesity is not only a disease but also a symptom and cause of many chronic diseases 3 . Given the close relationship between diet and obesity, it is crucial to identify dietary risk factors associated with obesity.…”