Assessing the Consumer Food Environment in Restaurants by Neighbourhood Distress Level across Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

2016 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Wang ◽  
Rachel Engler-Stringer ◽  
Nazeem Muhajarine
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Material Deprivation ◽  
Deprivation Index ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Socioeconomic Indicators ◽  
Nutrition Environment ◽  
Distress Level ◽  
High Distress ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers ◽  
Coffee Shops

Purpose: To assess the consumer food environment in restaurants in Saskatoon, using the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for Restaurants (NEMS-R), to examine differences by neighbourhood distress level and to reflect on the need for further refinement of the assessment of restaurant consumer food environments. Methods: Neighbourhoods were classified as low, middle, or high distress level based on the socioeconomic indicators (income, employment, and education) in the Material Deprivation Index. Differences in restaurant consumer food environments, indicated by mean NEMS-R total and sub-scores, were examined by various restaurant categories and by varying neighbourhood distress levels. Results: Chain coffee shops and pita and sandwich restaurants had higher NEMS-R totals and “Healthy Entrées” sub-scores; however, burger and chicken restaurants and pizza restaurants had more barriers to healthful eating. Although restaurants in lower distress level neighbourhoods generally rated healthier (higher NEMS-R scores), only a few measures (such as “Facilitators” and “Barriers”) significantly differed by neighbourhood distress level. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of developing interventions to improve restaurant consumer food environments, especially in neighbourhoods with higher distress levels. The results suggest that reliable measures of the consumer food environment could be developed beginning with what can be measured by NEMS-R.

scholarly journals Cultural Adaptation and Evaluation of the Perceived Nutrition Environment Measures Survey to the Mediterranean Spanish Context (NEMS-P-MED)

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3257
Author(s):  
Alba Martínez-García ◽  
Eva María Trescastro-López ◽  
María Eugenia Galiana-Sánchez ◽  
Cristóbal Llorens-Ivorra ◽  
Pamela Pereyra-Zamora
Keyword(s):  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Internal Consistency Reliability ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Nutrition Environment ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Measurement Tools ◽  
Effective Policy ◽  
Standardized Measurement

Individuals’ perceptions of their food environments are a mediator between exposure to the environment and people’s interaction with it. The Nutrition Environment Measures Surveys (NEMS) are valid and reliable measures to assess food environments. In Spain, there is no adapted instrument to measure the perceived obesogenic environment. This article aims to adapt and evaluate the Perceived Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for a Spanish context (NEMS-P-MED). The Spanish version has 32 questions to measure the perception about availability, accessibility and marketing of 3 types of environment: home, shops and restaurants. We assess feasibility, construct validity and internal consistency reliability through a sample of 95 individuals. The internal consistency was acceptable for most items (Cronbach’s alpha coefficients range from 0.6 to 0.9), similar to that of the original scale. The NEMS-P-MED has been shown to be valid and, on certain items reliable, and was useful to assess the population’s perceptions of the food environment in the home, restaurants and food stores in a Spanish context. Adapting standardized measurement tools to specific contexts to assess the perceived and observed characteristics of food environments may facilitate the development of effective policy interventions to reduce excess weight.

Are campus food environments healthy? A novel perspective for qualitatively evaluating the nutritional quality of food sold at foodservice facilities at a Brazilian university

2016 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isadora Santos Pulz ◽  
Paula Andréa Martins ◽  
Charles Feldman ◽  
Marcela Boro Veiros
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Food Ingredients ◽  
Nutrition Environment ◽  
Food And Beverage

Aims: The purpose of this novel study was to evaluate the food environment at a Brazilian university, encompassing 6 restaurants and 13 snack bars. The investigation uniquely analyses the food environment (barriers, facilitators, type of foods and prices). This was a food-based analysis of the nutritional quality of the products sold on campus. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used, applying the classic Nutrition Environment Measures Survey–Restaurants (NEMS-R) adapted for Brazil and an original methodology to evaluate and classify qualitatively the nutritional quality and characteristics of the food. A census of all campus food environments was applied. Results: The main results show most food and beverage products were made with processed ingredients and had a lower nutritional quality and price when compared with similar products made on premises, that is, processed iced tea compared with fresh tea ( p < .001), fried refined flour salgados compared with baked wholegrain flour salgados ( p < .001) and refined flour biscuits compared with those made with whole grains ( p = .028). Only 16% of the outlets provided food ingredients or nutritional information of products available. Conclusion: The overall options for healthy food choices and good nutritional quality on campus were mostly limited by the availability and higher prices of products. These findings could be used to develop new policy perspectives for the offering of healthy food items and to facilitate better food choices among students in a healthier food environment.

scholarly journals A Nutrition Environment Measure to Assess Tribal Convenience Stores: The THRIVE Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 410-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianna S. Wetherill ◽  
Mary B. Williams ◽  
Tori Taniguchi ◽  
Alicia L. Salvatore ◽  
Tvli Jacob ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Kappa Statistics ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Nutrition Environment ◽  
Intraclass Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Convenience Stores ◽  
Important Food Source

In rural American Indian (AI) communities, where supermarkets are rare, tribally owned and operated convenience stores are an important food source. Food environment measures for these settings are needed to understand and address the significant diet-related disparities among AIs. Through a tribal-university partnership that included tribal health and commerce representatives from two Native Nations in rural southeastern Oklahoma, we developed the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for Tribal Convenience Stores (NEMS-TCS) to inform the development and evaluation of a healthy food retail intervention. The NEMS-TCS assessed four scored domains of the rural convenience store food environment—food availability, pricing, quality, and placement—and included 11 food categories that emphasized ready-to-eat food items. Trained raters administered the NEMS-TCS using a sample of 18 rural convenience stores (primarily ranging between 2,400 and 3,600 square feet). We assessed interrater reliability with kappa statistics for dichotomized variables and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for continuous variables. NEMS-TCS demonstrated high inter-rater reliability for all food categories (>85% agreement), subscores (ICC = 0.73-1.00), and the total score (ICC = 0.99). The NEMS-TCS responds to recent calls for reliable measures for rural food environments and may be valuable for studying food environments of large convenience stores in other Native Nations as well as other rural settings.

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

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.

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

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.

Youth Speak Out on School Food Environments

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 193-202
Author(s):  
Kelsey Gangemi ◽  
Roxanne Dupuis ◽  
Elizabeth FitzGerald ◽  
Rosemary Frasso ◽  
Sara Solomon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
School Personnel ◽  
School Nurses ◽  
Photo Elicitation ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
School Food ◽  
Vending Machines ◽  
Student Input

In Philadelphia, over 40% of youth are overweight or obese. The objective in this assessment was to learn about urban residents’ perspectives regarding the local food environment and its impact on eating behaviors. Using photo-elicitation, 20 adolescents reflected on their food environments through photographs and corresponding interviews. Without specific prompting from interviewers, every participant raised concerns about their school food environments, which they commonly found to be unhealthy and unappealing. Participants’ responses reflected four themes: (1) mixed reviews regarding the healthfulness of school vending machines, (2) lunch from home versus lunch from school, (3) factors that influenced food choice at school, and (4) critiques of school food environments. Students embraced the photo-elicitation approach as a way to convey their concerns and to suggest opportunities for improvements. School nurses, who are trusted by students and school personnel, are well-positioned to solicit student input and advocate for healthier school food environments.

Implementation Factors Related to Improving the Food Environment Within Health Care Institutions: A Multiple Case Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizaveta Walker ◽  
Robin L Baker ◽  
Kerth O'Brien ◽  
Lynne C Messer ◽  
Cara L Eckhardt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
System Level ◽  
Implementation Barriers ◽  
Executive Leaders ◽  
Sugar Sweetened Beverage ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Health Care Institutions ◽  
Facilitators And Barriers

Abstract Background Healthy food environment policies (HFEPs), such as sugar-sweetened beverage bans or nutritional standards for vending machines, can improve the healthfulness of retail food venues, particularly within health care institutions that have a health-focused mission. The degree to which operational managers’ and executive leaders’ perceptions of implementation challenges align or diverge, and the extent to which these perceptions affect HFEP implementation, is unknown.Methods We conducted ten semi-structured key informant interviews with managers and executive leaders who participated in HFEP development within five health care organizations. Interviews explored facilitators and barriers for HFEP adoption and maintenance. We transcribed, coded, and analyzed interviews and derived contextual facilitators and barriers.Results We identified 27 facilitators and 30 barriers, which were refined into six and five categories, respectively, and ultimately paired to create three overarching recommendations. Operational managers’ and executive leaders’ perceptions overlapped 44-75% when identifying facilitators but only 33-58% when identifying implementation barriers. Interpersonal issues such as over-delegation and mistrust were prominent among those organizations whose respondents’ perceptions diverged substantially.Conclusion As the obesity epidemic continues to increase, understanding key facilitators and barriers to HFEPs, as well as the influence on leaderships’ perceptions on the implementation process, will be key to addressing obesogenic food environments. Though leaders were generally aligned in perspectives regarding facilitators, there was greater divergence when barriers were discussed. Executive leaders are encouraged to familiarize themselves with operational barriers and refrain from over-delegating these challenges to their operational counterparts, who lack the institutional authority to override organizational or system-level decisions.

Community-Engaged GIS for Urban Food Justice Research

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-29 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret W. Pettygrove ◽  
Rina Ghose
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Justice ◽  
Web Gis ◽  
Food Sources ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Geospatial Techniques ◽  
Environment Quality ◽  
Qualitative Gis ◽  
Environment Index

GIScience research has enhanced citizen engagement through advancements in web-based geospatial techniques and qualitative GIS methodologies, which provide opportunities for new forms of knowledge production. This paper draws on two interrelated approaches to demonstrate the ways qualitative GIS and Web 2.0 can provide nuanced analysis and foster collaborations to advance, in particular, food justice goals, which include developing equity in access to quality nutritious foods. First, the authors create a multicriteria food environment index utilizing GIS-based multicriteria modeling to represent food environments as constituted by multiple food sources and access dimensions. This enables visualization of food environment quality and indicates that food environment quality varies within a single neighborhood. Second, they utilize web GIS technologies to capture and visualize volunteered geographic information about urban food environments, demonstrating the importance of citizen perspectives to developing more nuanced understandings of these environments.

scholarly journals Assessing Support for Advantaged and Disadvantaged Groups: A Comparison of Urban Food Environments

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 1135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Storr ◽  
Julia Carins ◽  
Sharyn Rundle-Thiele
Keyword(s):  
Equal Opportunity ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Dietary Behaviour ◽  
Measurement Tool ◽  
Low Ses ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Nutrition Environment ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Public Health Strategies

Individuals from lower-socio-economic status (SES) communities have increased risk of developing obesity in developed countries such as Australia. Given the influence of the environment on dietary behaviour, this paper seeks to examine food environments in areas of differing social advantage. An established measurement tool (the NEMS—Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey), that captures aspects of support for healthy eating within restaurants (NEMS-R) and grocery/convenience stores (NEMS-S), was applied to both a high-SES and a low-SES suburb within Brisbane, Australia. The study found a significantly more supportive restaurant food environment in the high-SES suburb, with greater access to and availability of healthful foods, as well as facilitators for, reduced barriers to, and substantially more nutrition information for healthful eating. A higher number of outlets were found in the high-SES suburb, and later opening times were also observed. Overall, the results from stores (NEMS-S) suggest poor support for healthful eating across both suburbs. This study highlights how food environments in low-SES regions continue to be less supportive of healthful eating. Public health strategies must move beyond individual-focused strategies to ensure that our most disadvantaged, low-SES communities have an equal opportunity to access healthful foods.

scholarly journals Adaptation and Evaluation of the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey in Stores to Assess Mediterranean Food Environments (NEMS-S-MED)

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 7031 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alba Martínez-García ◽  
Julia Díez ◽  
Carlos Fernández-Escobar ◽  
Eva María Trescastro-López ◽  
Pamela Pereyra-Zamora ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Status ◽  
Kappa Statistics ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Food Stores ◽  
Census Tracts ◽  
Nutrition Environment ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Measurement Tools ◽  
Urban Contexts ◽  
Access And Affordability

The Nutrition Environment Measures Surveys are valid and reliable measures of community and consumer food environments. This article describes the adaptation and evaluation of the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey in Stores (NEMS-S) for Mediterranean urban contexts (NEMS-S-MED). Trained raters used the adapted NEMS-S-MED tool to observe and rate food outlets in 21 census tracts and 43 food stores across the city of Madrid, Spain. We evaluated inter-rater and intra-rater reliabilities, construct validity, and the tool’s ability to discriminate between store types and between stores by area-level Socio-Economic Status (SES). Overall, the mean NEMS-S-MED score was 20.7 (SD = 9.8), which ranged from 7 to 43. Most food items displayed substantial or almost perfect inter-rater and intra-rater agreements; the percentage agreement across availability items was almost perfect and kappa statistics were also very high (median κ = 1.00 for inter-rater; κ = 0.92 for intra-rater). Furthermore, the NEMS-S-MED tool was able to discriminate between store types and census tracts of different SES. The adapted NEMS-S-MED instrument is a reliable and valid audit tool to assess the consumer food environment in Mediterranean urban contexts. Well-constructed measurement tools, such as the NEMS-S-MED, may facilitate the development of effective policy interventions to increase healthy food access and affordability.

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