Food environments and dietary intakes among adults: does the type of spatial exposure measurement matter? A systematic review

Bivoltsis, Alexia; Cervigni, Eleanor; Trapp, Gina; Knuiman, Matthew; Hooper, Paula; Ambrosini, Gina L.

doi:10.1186/s12942-018-0139-7

Cited by 85 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 82 publications

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“…Our measure of availability (counts) produced more important associations than our measure of accessibility (distance). These results are in line with the ones shown in the previous review [49], documenting effect sizes from accessibility measures to be smaller than effects from availability measures. Prior research has also shown different associations between neighborhood-level socioeconomic status and food access according to the accessibility dimension measured [54].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to examine the retail food environment surrounding schools across an entire Southern European city like Madrid. According to a recent systematic review by Bivoltsis et al [49], there is no current consensus on the use of different exposure measures for food environment. Therefore, following their recommendations, we used a multimethod approach and decided to measure the effect of two dimensions of spatial access, availability and accessibility.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Socioeconomic Inequalities in the Retail Food Environment around Schools in a Southern European Context

et al. 2019

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Across Europe, excess body weight rates are particularly high among children and adolescents living in Southern European contexts. In Spain, current food policies appeal to voluntary self-regulation of the food industry and parents’ responsibility. However, there is no research (within Spain) assessing the food environment surrounding schools. We examined the association between neighborhood-level socioeconomic status (NSES) and the spatial access to an unhealthy food environment around schools using both counts and distance measures, across the city of Madrid. We conducted a cross-sectional study citywide (n = 2443 census tracts). In 2017, we identified all schools (n = 1321) and all food retailers offering unhealthy food and beverages surrounding them (n = 6530) using publicly available data. We examined both the counts of retailers (within 400 m) and the distance (in meters) from the schools to the closest retailer. We used multilevel regressions to model the association of neighborhood-level socioeconomic status (NSES) with both measures, adjusting both models for population density. Almost all schools (95%) were surrounded by unhealthy retailers within 400 m (median = 17 retailers; interquartile range = 8–34). After adjusting for population density, NSES remained inversely associated with unhealthy food availability. Schools located in low-NSES areas (two lowest quintiles) showed, on average, 29% (IRR (Incidence Rate Ratio) = 1.29; 95% CI (Confidence Interval) = 1.12, 1.50) and 62% (IRR = 1.62; 95% CI = 1.35, 1.95) more counts of unhealthy retailers compared with schools in middle-NSES areas (ref.). Schools in high-NSES areas were farther from unhealthy food sources than those schools located in middle-NSES areas (β = 0.35; 95% CI = 0.14, 0.47). Regulating the school food environment (within and beyond school boundaries) may be a promising direction to prevent and reduce childhood obesity.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socioeconomic Inequalities in the Retail Food Environment around Schools in a Southern European Context

et al. 2019

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“…36 Compared with other measures of the fast-food environment, proximity measures may also produce more conservative estimates of association with relevant outcomes. 37 In a regional subsample of UK Biobank, others have recently improved on this measurement of the food environment and found stronger associations. 38 In this study, where the main effect sizes are relatively small, even the reasonably strong interaction effects we observed translate to small differences between high-risk and low-risk groups.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic risk of obesity as a modifier of associations between neighbourhood environment and body mass index: an observational study of 335 046 UK Biobank participants

Mason

Palla

Pearce

et al. 2020

BMJNPH

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BackgroundThere is growing recognition that recent global increases in obesity are the product of a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors. However, in gene-environment studies of obesity, ‘environment’ usually refers to individual behavioural factors that influence energy balance, whereas more upstream environmental factors are overlooked. We examined gene-environment interactions between genetic risk of obesity and two neighbourhood characteristics likely to be associated with obesity (proximity to takeaway/fast-food outlets and availability of physical activity facilities).MethodsWe used data from 335 046 adults aged 40–70 in the UK Biobank cohort to conduct a population-based cross-sectional study of interactions between neighbourhood characteristics and genetic risk of obesity, in relation to body mass index (BMI). Proximity to a fast-food outlet was defined as distance from home address to nearest takeaway/fast-food outlet, and availability of physical activity facilities as the number of formal physical activity facilities within 1 km of home address. Genetic risk of obesity was operationalised by weighted Genetic Risk Scores of 91 or 69 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), and by six individual SNPs considered separately. Multivariable, mixed-effects models with product terms for the gene-environment interactions were estimated.ResultsAfter accounting for likely confounding, the association between proximity to takeaway/fast-food outlets and BMI was stronger among those at increased genetic risk of obesity, with evidence of an interaction with polygenic risk scores (p=0.018 and p=0.028 for 69-SNP and 91-SNP scores, respectively) and in particular with a SNP linked to MC4R (p=0.009), a gene known to regulate food intake. We found very little evidence of gene-environment interaction for the availability of physical activity facilities.ConclusionsIndividuals at an increased genetic risk of obesity may be more sensitive to exposure to the local fast-food environment. Ensuring that neighbourhood residential environments are designed to promote a healthy weight may be particularly important for those with greater genetic susceptibility to obesity.

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“…The availability and access to nutritious food (e.g., fruits and vegetables) can facilitate nutritionally-sound food choices [10,11,12,13,14,15]. Because of their expected effects on diet quality and security, research on the impact of food systems on the availability and accessibility of nutritious food in vulnerable populations has been recently emphasized [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

We Don’t Have a Lot of Healthy Options: Food Environment Perceptions of First-Year, Minority College Students Attending a Food Desert Campus

et al. 2019

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First-year college students are at particular risk of dietary maladaptation during their transition to adulthood. A college environment that facilitates consistent access to nutritious food is critical to ensuring dietary adequacy among students. The objective of the study was to examine perceptions of the campus food environment and its influence on the eating choices of first-year students attending a minority-serving university located in a food desert. Focus group interviews with twenty-one first-year students were conducted from November 2016 to January 2017. Students participated in 1 of 5 focus groups. Most interviewees identified as being of Hispanic/Latino or Asian/Pacific Islander origin. A grounded theory approach was applied for inductive identification of relevant concepts and deductive interpretation of patterns and relationships among themes. Themes related to the perceived food environment included adequacy (i.e., variety and quality), acceptability (i.e., familiarity and preferences), affordability, and accessibility (i.e., convenience and accommodation). Subjective norms and processes of decisional balance and agency were themes characterizing interpersonal and personal factors affecting students’ eating choices. The perceived environment appeared to closely interact with subjective norms to inform internal processes of decision-making and agency around the eating choices of first-year students attending a minority-serving university campus located in a food desert.

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Food environments and dietary intakes among adults: does the type of spatial exposure measurement matter? A systematic review

Cited by 85 publications

References 82 publications

Socioeconomic Inequalities in the Retail Food Environment around Schools in a Southern European Context

Socioeconomic Inequalities in the Retail Food Environment around Schools in a Southern European Context

Genetic risk of obesity as a modifier of associations between neighbourhood environment and body mass index: an observational study of 335 046 UK Biobank participants

We Don’t Have a Lot of Healthy Options: Food Environment Perceptions of First-Year, Minority College Students Attending a Food Desert Campus

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