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

Abstract

Objective: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.

The social determinants of health influencing obesity for the aged in the Pakpoon community context: A qualitative study

“…Worldwide, less mobile, older people like the elderly research participants in Pakpoon, who all had comorbidities, are more likely to buy unhealthy food from a cheap and close to home [ [37] , [38] , [39] , [40] ]. Even in China, where meat is not an everyday staple, higher daily calorie intakes are positively correlated with a better selection of fast foods handy to residential areas [ 41 ].…”

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

“…While, research on the food environment in China is still in its early stages, several studies on the impact of the neighborhood food environment on people's diet and obesity have been conducted but with limited results ( 29 ). Thus, the abovementioned issues cannot be solved in China owing to the lack of a systematic framework and standard tools ( 30 ).…”

Assessment of nutritional quality of snacks and beverages sold in university vending machines: a qualitative assessment

“…Several studies have emphasized the potential role of VM in modifying diet quality and eating behaviors (Rosi et al, 2017;Rovner et al, 2011). Considering the poor nutritional quality of food and beverage products sold in VM, the latter can be acting as part of the obesogenic neighborhood food environment (Matthews and Horacek, 2015;He et al, 2012;An et al, 2020). Throughout the globe, vended snacks and beverages have been reported to be low in dietary fibers and high in calories, sugar and salt (French et al, 2003(French et al, , 2010Shimotsu et al, 2007;Lawrence et al, 2009;Kubik et al, 2011;Pasch et al, 2011;Kibblewhite et al, 2010).…”