title: Identifying fast-food restaurants using a central register as a measure of the food environment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To validate the identification and location of fast-food restaurants according to a government list of inspected food stores and restaurants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fast-food restaurants in the Capital Region of Denmark were identified using a government list of inspected food stores and restaurants (the Smiley register, spring 2010). Ground-truthing was used as the validation method and was performed in May and June 2010 in 125 randomly selected 250×250 m grid cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 186 fast-food restaurants was identified by ground-truthing and 99% of these were registered in the same grid cell by the Smiley register. However, only 152 restaurants of these were categorised as fast-food restaurants by both methods. The sensitivity was 82% and the positive predictive value was 92%. The mean±standard deviation position accuracy was 15±24 m.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using a government list of inspected restaurants was found to be a valid and useful alternative to expensive and time-consuming field observation and provided a relatively accurate tool for identifying and locating fast-food restaurants in communities.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Glostrup University Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark. ulto@glo.regionh.dk
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Toft
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Erbs-Maibing
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Glümer
mesh_terms: D002755:Choice Behavior; D004032:Diet; D057140:Fast Foods / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011634:Public Health; D012042:Registries; D012147:Restaurants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors