Examining community and consumer food environments for children: An urban-suburban-rural comparison in Southwestern Ontario

Catherine M DuBreck; Richard C Sadler; Godwin Arku; Jason A Gilliland

doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.05.004

Examining community and consumer food environments for children: An urban-suburban-rural comparison in Southwestern Ontario

Soc Sci Med. 2018 Jul:209:33-42. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.05.004. Epub 2018 May 8.

Authors

Catherine M DuBreck¹, Richard C Sadler², Godwin Arku¹, Jason A Gilliland³

Affiliations

¹ University of Western Ontario, Human Environments Analysis Laboratory, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada; University of Western Ontario, Department of Geography, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada.
² University of Western Ontario, Human Environments Analysis Laboratory, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada; Michigan State University, Department of Family Medicine/Division of Public Health, College of Human Medicine, 200 E 1st St, Flint, MI, 48502, United States.
³ University of Western Ontario, Human Environments Analysis Laboratory, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada; University of Western Ontario, Department of Geography, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada; University of Western Ontario, School of Health Studies, Department of Paediatrics., Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7, Canada; Children's Health Research Institute, 800 Commissioners Rd E, London, Ontario, N6C 2V5, Canada. Electronic address: jgillila@uwo.ca.

PMID: 29787926
DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.05.004

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate how retail food environments for children in the City of London and Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada, vary according to level of urbanicity and level of socioeconomic distress. Urbanicity in this study is defined as a neighbourhood's designation as urban, suburban, or rural. We assessed community food environments (e.g., the type, location, and accessibility of food outlets) using 800m and 1600m network buffers (school zones) around all public and private elementary schools, and we calculated and compared density of junk food opportunities (JFO) (e.g., fast food and full-service restaurants, grocery stores, and convenience stores) within each school zone in urban, suburban and rural settings. The study also assessed consumer food environments (e.g., the price, promotion, placement, and availability of healthy options and nutrition information) through restaurant children's menu audits using the Children's Menu Assessment tool. Results suggest JFO density is greater around elementary schools in areas with higher levels of socioeconomic distress and urbanicity, while urbanicity is also associated with greater use of branded marketing and inclusion of an unhealthy dessert on children's menus.

Keywords: Children's menus; Community food environment; Consumer food environment; Junk food; Socioeconomic distress.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Child
Commerce / statistics & numerical data*
Environment*
Food Supply / statistics & numerical data*
Humans
Ontario
Residence Characteristics / statistics & numerical data*
Rural Population / statistics & numerical data
Schools
Suburban Population / statistics & numerical data
Urban Population / statistics & numerical data