Examining the Community Food Environments for Elementary School-Aged Children in the City of London and Middlesex County, Ontario

Childhood obesity is a growing public health issue of global importance. In Canada, one in four children and youth are overweight or obese. Research suggests diet plays a crucial role in childhood obesity, and that prevalence rates of overweight or obesity among children in a neighborhood may relate to area socioeconomic characteristics and other environmental factors. The community nutrition environment (e.g., the type, location, and accessibility of food outlets) and the consumer nutrition environment (e.g., the price, promotion, placement, and availability of healthy options and nutrition information) can influence dietary habits, including the specific meal a child orders from a restaurant. This study sought to understand the composition of community food environments within elementary school zones in the City of London and Middlesex County, Ontario. Using ArcGIS, food outlets were mapped and both junk food outlet density and the modified retail food environment index were calculated within every school zone (800m service area around the school). Public, private, and catholic elementary schools (up to grade 8) within Middlesex County and London, Ontario were included in this study.