Impacts of a New Supermarket on Dietary Behavior and the Local Foodscape in Kisumu, Kenya: Protocol for a Mixed Methods, Natural Experimental Study

Louise Foley; Oliver Francis; Rosemary Musuva; Ebele Ri Mogo; Eleanor Turner-Moss; Pamela Wadende; Vincent Were; Charles Obonyo

doi:10.2196/17814

Impacts of a New Supermarket on Dietary Behavior and the Local Foodscape in Kisumu, Kenya: Protocol for a Mixed Methods, Natural Experimental Study

JMIR Res Protoc. 2020 Dec 21;9(12):e17814. doi: 10.2196/17814.

Authors

Louise Foley¹, Oliver Francis¹, Rosemary Musuva², Ebele Ri Mogo¹, Eleanor Turner-Moss¹, Pamela Wadende³, Vincent Were², Charles Obonyo²

Affiliations

¹ MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
² Centre for Global Health Research, Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya.
³ Faculty of Education and Human Resources, Kisii University, Kisii, Kenya.

PMID: 33346736
PMCID: PMC7781801
DOI: 10.2196/17814

Abstract

Background: Access to healthy food is considered a key determinant of dietary behavior, and there is mixed evidence that living near a supermarket is associated with a healthier diet. In Africa, supermarkets may contribute to the nutrition transition by offering both healthy and unhealthy foods and by replacing traditional food sellers. In Kisumu, Kenya, a planned hypermarket (ie, a supermarket combined with a department store) will form the basis for a natural experimental evaluation.

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the impacts of a new hypermarket on food shopping practices, dietary behaviors, physical activity patterns, and body composition among local residents and to identify concurrent changes in the local foodscape. We also aim to explore how impacts and associations vary by socioeconomic status.

Methods: We employ a mixed methods, longitudinal study design. Two study areas were defined: the hypermarket intervention area (ie, Kisumu) and a comparison area with no hypermarket (ie, Homabay). The study is comprised of 4 pieces of primary data collection: a quantitative household survey with local residents, a qualitative study consisting of focus group discussions with local residents and semistructured interviews with government and private sector stakeholders, an audit of the local foodscape using on-the-ground data collection, and an intercept survey of shoppers in the hypermarket. Assessments will be undertaken at baseline and approximately 1 year after the hypermarket opens.

Results: Baseline assessments were conducted from March 2019 to June 2019. From a total sampling frame of 400 households, we recruited 376 of these households, giving an overall response rate of 94.0%. The household survey was completed by 516 individuals within these households. Across the two study areas, 8 focus groups and 44 stakeholder interviews were conducted, and 1920 food outlets were geocoded.

Conclusions: This study aims to further the understanding of the relationship between food retail and dietary behaviors in Kenya. Baseline assessments for the study have been completed.

International registered report identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/17814.

Keywords: Africa; diet; food environment; food retail; natural experiment; supermarket.

©Louise Foley, Oliver Francis, Rosemary Musuva, Ebele RI Mogo, Eleanor Turner-Moss, Pamela Wadende, Vincent Were, Charles Obonyo. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (http://www.researchprotocols.org), 21.12.2020.