Obesogenic Neighborhoods: The Impact of Neighborhood Restaurants and Convenience Stores on Adolescents' Food Consumption Behaviors

Authors

Meizi He, University of Texas at San Antonio
Patricia Tucker, University of Western Ontario
Jennifer D. Irwin, University of Western Ontario
Jason Gilliland, University of Western Ontario
Kristian Larsen, University of Toronto
Paul Hess, University of Toronto

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2012

Volume

15

Issue

12

Journal

Public Health Nutrition

First Page

2331

Last Page

2339

URL with Digital Object Identifier

https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980012000584

Abstract

To examine the relationship between the neighbourhood food environment and dietary intake among adolescents. Cross-sectional design using: (i) a geographic information system to assess characteristics of the neighbourhood food environment and neighbourhood socio-economic status; (ii) the modified Healthy Eating Index (HEI) to assess participants' overall diet quality; and (iii) generalized linear models to examine associations between HEI and home and school food environmental correlates. Mid-sized Canadian city in Ontario, Canada. Participants Grade 7 and 8 students (n 810) at twenty-one elementary schools. Students living in neighbourhoods with a lower diversity of land-use types, compared with their higher diversity counterparts, had higher HEI scores (P < 0.05). Students with more than 1 km between their home and the nearest convenience store had higher HEI scores than those living within 1 km (P < 0.01). Students attending schools with a distance further than 1 km from the nearest convenience store (P < 0.01) and fast-food outlet (P < 0.05) had higher HEI scores than those within 1 km. Those attending schools with three or more fast-food outlets within 1 km had lower HEI scores than those attending schools with no fast-food outlet in the school surroundings (P < 0.05). Close proximity to convenience stores in adolescents' home environments is associated with low HEI scores. Within adolescents' school environments, close proximity to convenience and fast-food outlets and a high density of fast-food outlets are associated with low HEI scores.

Notes

Also available open access in Public Health Nutrition at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980012000584

Citation of this paper:

He, M., Tucker, P., Irwin, J., Gilliland, J., Larsen, K., & Hess, P. (2012). Obesogenic neighbourhoods: The impact of neighbourhood restaurants and convenience stores on adolescents’ food consumption behaviours. Public Health Nutrition, 15(12), 2331-2339. doi:10.1017/S1368980012000584