scholarly journals Food Purchasing Characteristics and Perceptions of Neighborhood Food Environment of South Africans Living in Low-, Middle- and High-Socioeconomic Neighborhoods

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 4801 ◽  
Author(s):  
Feyisayo Odunitan-Wayas ◽  
Kufre Okop ◽  
Robert Dover ◽  
Olufunke Alaba ◽  
Lisa Micklesfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Food Purchasing ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Sweetened Beverages ◽  
Neighborhood Food Environment ◽  
Key Issues

Using intercept surveys, we explored demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with food purchasing characteristics of supermarket shoppers and the perceptions of their neighborhood food environment in urban Cape Town. Shoppers (N = 422) aged ≥18 years, categorized by their residential socioeconomic areas (SEAs), participated in a survey after shopping in supermarkets located in different SEAs. A subpopulation, out-shoppers (persons shopping outside their residential SEA), and in-shoppers (persons residing and shopping in the same residential area) were also explored. Fruits and vegetables (F&V) were more likely to be perceived to be of poor quality and healthy food not too expensive by shoppers from low- (OR = 6.36, 95% CI = 2.69, 15.03, p < 0.0001), middle-SEAs (OR = 3.42, 95% CI = 1.45, 8.04, p < 0.001) compared to the high-SEA shoppers. Low SEA shoppers bought F&V less frequently than high- and middle-SEA shoppers. Purchase of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and snacks were frequent and similar across SEAs. Food quality was important to out-shoppers who were less likely to walk to shop, more likely to be employed and perceived the quality of F&V in their neighborhood to be poor. Food purchasing characteristics are influenced by SEAs, with lack of mobility and food choice key issues for low-SEA shoppers.

scholarly journals Monotony in the consumption of fruits and vegetables and food environment characteristics

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel De Deus Mendonça ◽  
Mariana Souza Lopes ◽  
Patrícia Pinheiro Freitas ◽  
Suellen Fabiane Campos ◽  
Mariana Carvalho de Menezes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Daily Intake ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Program Unit ◽  
Primary Health Care Services ◽  
Belo Horizonte ◽  
Community Trial

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the quantity and diversity in the consumption fruits and vegetables, as well as its relationship with the consumer’s purchase characteristics and food environment. METHODS: Baseline study stemming from a controlled and randomized community trial investigating a sample representative of Primary Health Care services (Health Academy Program) of Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais. The intake of fruits and vegetables was analyzed in servings/day, whereas diversity was assessed by the Food Frequency Questionnaire. Users were also questioned on the frequency, purchase location and availability of these foods at their households. To assess the consumer’s food environment, commercial establishments within a 1.6 km radius around the program unit sampled were audited. RESULTS: 3,414 adults and older adults (88.1% women) were investigated, as well as 336 commercial establishments, in 18 units of the Health Academy Program. The average consumption of fruits and vegetables was adequate [5.4 (SD = 2.1) servings/day] but monotonous, with average daily intake of two different types. In the establishments audited, a good diversity (77.7% and 85.0%) and variety (74.5% and 81.4%) of fruits and vegetables was observed, although with lower quality of vegetables (60.4%). After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, we identified that knowledge on food crops (p = 0.006), increased monthly availability of fruits at households (p < 0.001), and greater variety of fruits (p = 0.03) and quality of vegetables (p = 0.05) in commercial establishments could improve the quantitative intake of fruits and vegetables, whereas a greater variety of fruits (p = 0.008) would increase consumption diversity. CONCLUSIONS: The intake of fruits and vegetables was quantitatively adequate but monotonous, being influences by the consumer environment. Such results highlight the need for improving educational actions in health services and programs, in addition to acting on the consumer environment, aiming to promote and maintain the adequate and diversified consumption, as recommended by Brazilian guidelines for proper and healthy eating.

scholarly journals Drivers of Food Choice among Pastoral/Agro-Pastoral Community in Somali Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Berhe Gebremichael ◽  
Abiyot Asfaw
Keyword(s):  
Food Choice ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Market Access ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Eastern Ethiopia ◽  
Pastoral Community ◽  
Regional State

Background. Although nutritional problems are among the Ethiopian government’s priorities, the progress of nutritional indicators in the pastoral/agro-pastoral community is below the national figure. This could be because of poor food choice decisions, which remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the drivers of food choice among the pastoral/agro-pastoral community of Somali Regional State, Eastern Ethiopia. Materials and Methods. A qualitative study was conducted among 16 Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) and six Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) from May 7 to 27, 2018. Participants were selected purposefully. Native speakers of Somali language, who had previous qualitative data collection experience, collected the data. The overall collected data were cleaned, coded, sorted, categorized, and analyzed line-by-line. Content analysis was used to drive the key themes and sub-themes. Results. The study found that the commonest food item usually consumed by the community was porridge (“Shurow”), which is made from wheat or corn flour. The porridge is sometimes mixed with milk or butter. Besides, they consume boiled bean, wheat or sorghum (“Garaw”) that is mixed with oil or sugar. However, the consumption of fruits and vegetables was rare and seasonal. These all indicate that their feeding habit was monotonous with poor food choice decisions. The reported driving factors of food choice included drought, income, cost, availability and quality of foods, market access, familiarity with new foods, knowledge of nutritious foods, and health status of individuals. Conclusions. The food choice of the community was poor in the study area. Therefore, the health and agricultural sectors should work together to improve the feeding habits of this community by improving their knowledge and the availability of nutritious foods.

scholarly journals From “life support” to collaborative partnership: A local/global view of academic libraries in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reggie Raju
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
The Public ◽  
South Africans ◽  
Global View ◽  
Basic Services ◽  
K 12

South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy has been labeled a success. The growth in democratic institutions, transformation of the public service, extended basic services, and stabilization of the economy have been used to measure this success. Despite these successes, it is acknowledged that far too many South Africans are trapped in poverty, and South Africa still remains a highly unequal society. A major contributor to poverty and an unequal society is the poor quality of K–12 education for the majority and the continuation of that into higher education.

scholarly journals The GRIPP checklist: Strengthening the quality of patient and public involvement reporting in research

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 391-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Staniszewska ◽  
Jo Brett ◽  
Carole Mockford ◽  
Rosemary Barber
Keyword(s):  
Public Involvement ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Patient And Public Involvement ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Formal Evaluation ◽  
Effective Evaluation ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Poor Reporting

Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop the GRIPP (Guidance for Reporting Involvement of Patients and Public) checklist to enhance the quality of PPI reporting.Methods: Thematic analysis was used to synthesize key issues relating to patient and public involvement (PPI) identified in the PIRICOM and PAPIRIS systematic reviews. These issues informed the development of the GRIPP checklist.Results: The key issues identified included limited conceptualization of PPI, poor quality of methods reporting, unclear content validity of studies, poor reporting of context and process, enormous variability in the way impact is reported, little formal evaluation of the quality of involvement, limited focus on negative impacts, and little robust measurement of impact. The GRIPP checklist addresses these key issues.Conclusion: The reporting of patient and public involvement in health research needs significant enhancement. The GRIPP checklist represents the first international attempt to enhance the quality of PPI reporting. Better reporting will strengthen the PPI evidence-base and so enable more effective evaluation of what PPI works, for whom, in what circumstances and why.

scholarly journals On-campus food environment, purchase behaviours, preferences and opinions in a Norwegian university community

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-32
Author(s):  
Naiara Martinez-Perez ◽  
Liv Elin Torheim ◽  
Nerea Castro-Díaz ◽  
Marta Arroyo-Izaga
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Food Purchasing ◽  
Nutritional Profile ◽  
Vending Machines ◽  
Processing Level ◽  
Food And Drink ◽  
The Uk

Abstract Objective: To assess food environment at OsloMet, through the nutritional profile and processing level of available commercial foods and drinks; as well as to determine food purchasing behaviours, preferences and opinions on the food environment; in order to identify whether interventions on campus need to be conducted. Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study. Setting: Pilestredet and Kjeller campus of OsloMet (Norway). Participants: To analyse the nutritional profile of products offered at all food outlets (7 canteens, 3 coffee shops and 2 vending machines) at the main campuses three criteria were applied: those proposed by the Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition, the UK Nutrient Profiling Model and those of the Food and Drink Industry Professional Practices Committee Norway. In addition, products were classified by processing level, using the NOVA system. Food purchasing, food choice behaviours, and opinions were analysed through a survey online, in which 129 subjects participated. Results: With regard to the first of the objectives, the combination of the above-mentioned criteria showed that 39·8% of the products were “unhealthy” and 85·9% were “ultra-processed”. Regarding the second objective, the most important determinants of food choice were taste, convenience, and cost and nutrition/health value. The most common improvements suggested were lowering the cost, improving the allergen information on labelling, and increasing the variety of fresh and healthy foods. Conclusions: A high proportion of the products offered were considered “unhealthy” and highly processed. Interventions that improve food prices, availability and information on labelling would be well-receivedin this community.

scholarly journals Assessing dietary intake: Who, what and why of under-reporting

1998 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennie Macdiarmid ◽  
John Blundell
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Dietary Fat ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Multidisciplinary Approach ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Dietary Intakes ◽  
Quality Of Data ◽  
Positive Health

AbstractUnder-reporting of food intake is one of the fundamental obstacles preventing the collection of accurate habitual dietary intake data. The prevalence of under-reporting in large nutritional surveys ranges from 18 to 54% of the whole sample, but can be as high as 70% in particular subgroups. This wide variation between studies is partly due to different criteria used to identify under-reporters and also to non-uniformity of under-reporting across populations. The most consistent differences found are between men and women and between groups differing in body mass index. Women are more likely to under-report than men, and under-reporting is more common among overweight and obese individuals. Other associated characteristics, for which there is less consistent evidence, include age, smoking habits, level of education, social class, physical activity and dietary restraint.Determining whether under-reporting is specific to macronutrients or food is problematic, as most methods identify only low energy intakes. Studies that have attempted to measure under-reporting specific to macronutrients express nutrients as percentage of energy and have tended to find carbohydrate under-reported and protein over-reported. However, care must be taken when interpreting these results, especially when data are expressed as percentages. A logical conclusion is that food items with a negative health image (e.g. cakes, sweets, confectionery) are more likely to be under-reported, whereas those with a positive health image are more likely to be over-reported (e.g. fruits and vegetables). This also suggests that dietary fat is likely to be under-reported.However, it is necessary to distinguish between under-reporting and genuine under-eating for the duration of data collection. The key to understanding this problem, but one that has been widely neglected, concerns the processes that cause people to under-report their food intakes. The little work that has been done has simply confirmed the complexity of this issue. The importance of obtaining accurate estimates of habitual dietary intakes so as to assess health correlates of food consumption can be contrasted with the poor quality of data collected. This phenomenon should be considered a priority research area. Moreover, misreporting is not simply a nutritionist's problem, but requires a multidisciplinary approach (including psychology, sociology and physiology) to advance the understanding of under-reporting in dietary intake studies.

scholarly journals Influence of the Local Food Environment on Hispanics’ Perceptions of Healthy Food Access in New York City

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel C. Co ◽  
Suzanne Bakken
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Access ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Local Food ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Large Size ◽  
Healthy Food Access

Introduction: Studies have characterized food environments and documented its impact on access and consumption of healthy foods as well as diet-related health conditions. This study aims to characterize the local food environment in New York City’s Washington Heights and Inwood community and to examine its influence on Hispanics’ perceptions of healthy food access. Methods: Person-level local food environments were created by spatially modeling food retailers selling fresh fruits and vegetables or low-fat products within a participant’s 400- and 800-m residential radius buffers. Data were analyzed using multivariate binary logistic regression. Results: Fruit/vegetable markets significantly increased participants’ odds of perceiving the availability of a large selection as well as the high quality of fresh fruits and vegetables in their neighborhood. Medium-/large-size supermarkets/groceries within 400-m radius significantly increased participants’ odds of perceiving the high quality of fresh fruits and vegetables in their neighborhood, whereas meat markets significantly lowered the odds. Fruit/vegetable markets and medium-/large-size supermarkets/groceries significantly increased participants’ odds of perceiving the availability of a large selection of low-fat products in their neighborhood. Conclusion: Study findings advance our understanding of the relationships between local food environment and perceived healthy food access among urban Hispanics.

scholarly journals Postharvest losses to agricultural product traders in Mutare, Zimbabwe

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Fungisai Chebanga Kudzai Mukumbi ◽  
Moses Mutetwa Tuarira Mtaita
Keyword(s):  
Informal Sector ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Insect Pests ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Agricultural Product ◽  
Postharvest Losses ◽  
Storage Facilities ◽  
Informal Traders

The study examined the nature and causes of postharvest losses incurred by formal and informal traders in Mutare urban. A survey was conducted where questionnaires were administered to various respondents in the formal and informal sector of fruits and vegetables. The research study assessed the profitability of trading in fruits and vegetables to formal and informal traders. It also assessed traders’ perception of the losses of fruits and vegetables and further determined the possible ways of reducing these postharvest losses so as to enhance profitability in the sector. The study from a sample of 34 respondents revealed that both formal and informal traders experience losses during storage and transportation of goods. Losses incurred during storage were due to the unavailability of proper storage facilities specifically to informal traders. Furthermore, postharvest losses were also resulting from excessive exposure of crops to sunlight, poor packaging, poor carrying containers, attacks by insect pests as well as microbial or disease attacks. Postharvest losses affect profitability and growth of the fruits and vegetables sectors. There is need for farmers to improve on the quality of their produce and harvesting practices as emphasized by traders as they suffered losses as a result of poor quality goods supplied. Further postharvest practices should be improved by traders with special emphasis on adequate storage, handling and proper transportation of goods.

scholarly journals Perspectives and Assessment of the Catered Food Environment at a University (P04-137-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvia Crixell ◽  
Lindsey Menge ◽  
James Oliver
Keyword(s):  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Nutritional Quality ◽  
Food Preferences ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
Nutrition Knowledge ◽  
Sweetened Beverages ◽  
Study Protocols ◽  
Administrative Assistants

Abstract Objectives Food consumed at work contributes to diet quality. Mandatory meetings often include catered foods selected by someone else. No research has investigated a worksite catered food environment. The objective of this study was foundational, to describe the nutritional quality of foods provided at employee meetings at a university, and explore perspectives and nutrition knowledge of administrative assistants who order. Methods Study protocols were compliant with the university IRB. Foods and beverages included on receipts for catered events in 2016 (n = 686) were categorized (Crixell, PCD 2014). Administrative assistants who order foods (n = 451) were invited via email to participate in four focus groups exploring factors affecting ordering, and to take a previously validated nutrition knowledge survey (Jones, JNEB 2015). Recorded audio was transcribed and analyzed per the classic analysis strategy. Emergent themes were identified. Results Sweetened beverages were provided at about one-third of meals and half of snacks. Desserts were provided at about three-fourths of events. At most dinners, high-fat entrées were offered. The majority of focus group participants were female (85%) and Caucasian (52%). Policies, paperwork, convenience, budget, vendors, feedback, food preferences, personal motives, and nutrition were among emergent themes. A total of 138 took the survey; 31 took it again. The majority were female (82%) and Caucasian (55%). Each domain ofnutrition knowledge had high internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.87 (MyPyramid), 0.89 (Nutrient Content), 0.85 (Diet-disease), 0.95 (Total). Per test-retest reliability, the correlation between first and second scores was significant but low, r = .534 < .70, P = .002. Paired samples t-test indicated no significant differences between assessments, P = .452. The average nutrition knowledge score was 50%. Conclusions Nutritional quality of catered foods could readily be improved by removing sweetened beverages and replacing desserts and unhealthy entrées with fruits, vegetables, and lean protein foods.Ordering may be improved by addressing barriers, including policies, and providing nutrition education and resources such as healthful menu options for those who order food. Funding Sources N/A.

scholarly journals Public Investment in Social Sector in Pakistan: Trends and Issues

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sadia Idrees ◽  
Nor’Aznin Abu Bakar
Keyword(s):  
Public Investment ◽  
Information Management System ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Education And Health ◽  
The People ◽  
Developmental Indicators ◽  
Key Issues

The purpose of this research article is to investigate the key issues, problems and the new challenges in education and health sectors of Pakistan. The functions of health and educational institutions are to develop the people physically, mentally, psychologically, socially and spiritually. It improves and promotes the economic, social, political and cultural life of the nation. In Pakistan, after more than five decades, the developmental indicators are not showing positive results. There are problems of quality of staff, students, library and laboratory, poor quality of Health Information Management System, lack of Governance. Relevance with society needs, research facilities, financial crisis, arts students more than science students weaknesses of examination, ineffective governance and academic results are not at par with international standards. Considering the gigantic problems of education and health sectors in Pakistan, the researcher selected this topic for research.

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