Measuring the Food Environment: A Systematic Technique for Characterizing Food Stores Using Display Counts. (4th June 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Miller, Cassandra; Bodor, J. Nicholas; Rose, Donald
• Other Names: Kremers Stef P. J. Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of environmental and public health. Volume 2012(2012)
• Publication Date: 2012-06-04
• Subjects: Environmental health -- Periodicals; Occupational diseases -- Periodicals; Public health -- Periodicals; 613.105
• DOI: 10.1155/2012/707860
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1687-9805

Abstract

Abstract : Marketing research has documented the influence of in-store characteristics—such as the number and placement of display stands—on consumer purchases of a product. However, little information exists on this topic for key foods of interest to those studying the influence of environmental changes on dietary behavior. This study demonstrates a method for characterizing the food environment by measuring the number of separate displays of fruits, vegetables, and energy-dense snack foods (including chips, candies, and sodas) and their proximity to cash registers in different store types. Observations in New Orleans stores (N = 172 ) in 2007 and 2008 revealed significantly more displays of energy-dense snacks than of fruits and vegetables within all store types, especially supermarkets. Moreover, supermarkets had an average of 20 displays of energy-dense snacks within 1 meter of their cash registers, yet none of them had even a single display of fruits or vegetables near their cash registers. Measures of the number of separate display stands of key foods and their proximity to a cash register can be used by researchers to better characterize food stores and by policymakers to address improvements to the food environment.