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A cross-sectional description of mobile food vendors and the foods they serve: potential partners in delivering healthier food-away-from-home choices.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Food away from home (FAFH) in the US is associated with adverse health outcomes, and food dollars spent on FAFH continues to increase. FAFH studies have typically focused on restaurants and carryout establishments, but mobile food vendors - popularly known in the US as food trucks - have become more numerous and are an understudied segment of FAFH. The objective of this study was to assess mobile food vendors, their attitudes toward health and nutrition, and the foods they serve. METHODS:This was a cross-sectional study of 41 mobile food vendors in Michigan, US. The survey contained questions about food and nutrition attitudes, such as barriers to putting healthy items on menus and perceived agreement with healthy food preparation practices. Participants were classified into a healthy and a less healthy attitude group based on whether they believed healthy menu items could be successful or not. In addition, participant menus were collected and analyzed according to whether menu items were healthy, moderately healthy, or unhealthy. Descriptive, univariate, and bivariate analyses were conducted. RESULTS:Two-thirds of the participants felt that healthy menu items could be successful, and yet taste and value were the most important menu item success factors, each rated as important by 100% of the participants. Low consumer demand was the biggest barrier to putting healthy items on the menu (76%) whereas lack of chef interest (29%) and need for special training (24%) were the smallest. 72% of the vendors offered at least one healthy menu item, but only 20% of all reviewed menu items were healthy overall. There was no difference in the proportion of menu items that were healthy when comparing those with healthy attitudes (23% of menu items healthy) to those less healthy attitudes (17% of menu items healthy, p?=?0.349). CONCLUSIONS:Mobile food vendors had positive views about putting healthy items on menus. However, a low proportion of menu items were classified as healthy. This suggests that mobile food vendors are promising potential public health partners in improving the health profile of FAFH, but that education of vendors is needed to ensure the success of healthier items.

SUBMITTER: Reznar MM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6567609 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A cross-sectional description of mobile food vendors and the foods they serve: potential partners in delivering healthier food-away-from-home choices.

Reznar Melissa M MM Brennecke Katherine K Eathorne Jamie J Gittelsohn Joel J

BMC public health 20190613 1

<h4>Background</h4>Food away from home (FAFH) in the US is associated with adverse health outcomes, and food dollars spent on FAFH continues to increase. FAFH studies have typically focused on restaurants and carryout establishments, but mobile food vendors - popularly known in the US as food trucks - have become more numerous and are an understudied segment of FAFH. The objective of this study was to assess mobile food vendors, their attitudes toward health and nutrition, and the foods they ser ...[more]

PMID: 31196159

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Project description:BackgroundOnline grocery stores offer opportunities to encourage healthier food choices at the moment that consumers place a product of their choice in their basket. This study assessed the effect of a swap offer, Nutri-Score labeling, and a descriptive norm message on the nutrient profiling (NP) score of food choices in an online food basket. Additionally explored was whether these interventions made it more motivating and easier for consumers to select healthier foods and whether potential effects were moderated by consumer health interest.MethodsHypotheses were tested with a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in a simulated online supermarket. Dutch participants (n = 550) chose their preferred product out of six product options for four different categories (breakfast cereals, crackers, pizza, and muesli bars). Participants were randomly allocated to one of eight groups based on the interventions in a 2 (Nutri-Score: present, not present) X 2 (swap offer: present, not present) X 2 (norm message: present, not present) between subject design. The primary outcome was the difference in combined NP score of product choices, for which a lower score represented a healthier product.ResultsSwap offer (B = - 9.58, 95% CI: [- 12.026; - 7.132], Ƞ2 = 0.098) and Nutri-Score labeling (B = - 3.28, 95% CI: [- 5.724; -.829], Ƞ2 = 0.013) significantly improved the combined NP score compared to the control condition (NP score M = 18.03, SD = 14.02), whereas a norm message did not have a significant effect (B = - 1.378, 95% CI [- 3.825; 1.070], Ƞ2 = 0.002). No evidence was found that interventions made it more motivating or easier for consumers to select healthier food, but situational motivation significantly influenced the healthiness score of food choices for both swap offer (b = - 3.40, p < .001) and Nutri-Score (b = - 3.25, p < .001). Consumer health interest only significantly moderated the influence of Nutri-Score on ease of identifying the healthy food option (b = .23, p = .04).ConclusionsSwap offer and Nutri-Score labeling were effective in enhancing healthy purchase behavior in the online store environment.Trial registrationThis study was retrospectively registered in the ISRCTN database on 02-09-2021 ( ISRCTN80519674 ).

Dataset Information

A cross-sectional description of mobile food vendors and the foods they serve: potential partners in delivering healthier food-away-from-home choices.

Publications

A cross-sectional description of mobile food vendors and the foods they serve: potential partners in delivering healthier food-away-from-home choices.

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