Dataset Information

Beyond food swamps and food deserts: exploring urban Australian food retail environment typologies.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

'Food deserts' and 'food swamps' are food retail environment typologies associated with unhealthy diet and obesity. The current study aimed to identify more complex food retail environment typologies and examine temporal trends.

Design

Measures of food retail environment accessibility and relative healthy food availability were defined for small areas (SA2s) of Melbourne, Australia, from a census of food outlets operating in 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2016. SA2s were classified into typologies using a two-stage approach: (1) SA2s were sorted into twenty clusters according to accessibility and availability and (2) clusters were grouped using evidence-based thresholds.

Setting

The current study was set in Melbourne, the capital city of the state of Victoria, Australia.

Subjects

Food retail environments in 301 small areas (Statistical Area 2) located in Melbourne in 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2016.

Results

Six typologies were identified based on access (low, moderate and high) and healthy food availability including one where zero food outlets were present. Over the study period, SA2s experienced an overall increase in accessibility and healthiness. Distribution of typologies varied by geographic location and area-level socio-economic position.

Conclusion

Multiple typologies with contrasting access and healthiness measures exist within Melbourne and these continue to change over time, and the majority of SA2s were dominated by the presence of unhealthy relative to healthy outlets, with SA2s experiencing growth and disadvantage having the lowest access and to a greater proportion of unhealthy outlets.

SUBMITTER: Needham C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9991784 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Beyond food swamps and food deserts: exploring urban Australian food retail environment typologies.

Needham Cindy C Strugnell Claudia C Allender Steven S Orellana Liliana L

Public health nutrition 20220113

<h4>Objective</h4>'Food deserts' and 'food swamps' are food retail environment typologies associated with unhealthy diet and obesity. The current study aimed to identify more complex food retail environment typologies and examine temporal trends.<h4>Design</h4>Measures of food retail environment accessibility and relative healthy food availability were defined for small areas (SA2s) of Melbourne, Australia, from a census of food outlets operating in 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2016. SA2s were classifie ...[more]

PMID: 35022093

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Project description:The retail food environment is a key modifiable driver of food choice and the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This study aimed to assess the relationship between the density of food retailers, body mass index (BMI), dietary patterns, and socioeconomic position in Mexico. Cross-sectional dietary data, BMI and socioeconomic characteristics of adult participants came from the nationally representative 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey in Mexico. Geographical and food outlet data were obtained from official statistics. Densities of food outlets per census tract area (CTA) were calculated. Dietary patterns were determined using exploratory factor analysis and principal component analysis. The association of food environment variables, socioeconomic position, BMI, and dietary patterns was assessed using two-level multilevel linear regression models. Three dietary patterns were identified-the healthy, the unhealthy and the carbohydrates-and-drinks dietary pattern. Lower availability of fruit and vegetable stores was associated with an unhealthier dietary pattern whilst a higher restaurant density was associated with a carbohydrates-and-drinks pattern. A graded and inverse association was observed for fruit and vegetable store density and socioeconomic position (SEP)-lower-income populations had a reduced availability of fruit and vegetable stores, compared with higher-income populations. A higher density of convenience stores was associated with a higher BMI when adjusting for unhealthy dietary patterns. Upper-income households were more likely to consume healthy dietary patterns and middle-upper-income households were less likely to consume unhealthy dietary patterns when exposed to high densities of fruit and vegetable stores. When exposed to a high concentration of convenience stores, lower and upper-lower-income households were more likely to consume unhealthy dietary patterns. Food environment and sociodemographic conditions within neighbourhoods may affect dietary behaviours. Food environment interventions and policies which improve access to healthy foods and restrict access to unhealthy foods may facilitate healthier diets and contribute to the prevention of NCDs.

Dataset Information

Beyond food swamps and food deserts: exploring urban Australian food retail environment typologies.

Objective

Design

Setting

Subjects

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Beyond food swamps and food deserts: exploring urban Australian food retail environment typologies.

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