Availability of processed foods in the perimeter of public schools in urban areas.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the availability of food in relation to their degree of industrial processing and the types of food stores in the perimeters of elementary schools.


METHODS
This is a cross-sectional study. 82 food stores located within a 500 m radius buffer of three public schools located in three distinct regions with different socioeconomic levels in the municipality of Santos, state of São Paulo, Brazil, were assessed. All streets within a 500-meter radius of the schools were covered, geographic coordinates were recorded and information about the stores and food items available were collected by direct observation and interview with store managers. Available food items were classified in relation to their degree of industrial processing as ultra-processed foods and minimally processed foods. Kernel's density maps were used to assess the degree of agglomeration of stores near the schools.


RESULTS
The stores that offered mostly ultra-processed foods were significantly closer to schools than those who offered mostly minimally processed foods. There was a significant difference between the availability of processed food in different types of stores and between the three regions assessed.


CONCLUSIONS
The data found by this work evidence that children who attend the three public schools assessed are exposed to an environment that encourages the consumption of ultra-processed foods through easier access of these products in the studied stores.
Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Fernanda Helena Marrocos
FH
Leite
Maria Aparecida de
MA
Oliveira
Elena Carvalho
EC
Cremm
Débora Silva Costa de
DS
Abreu
Luana Rieffe
LR
Maron
Paula Andrea
PA
Martins
D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005502:Food / Q000145:classification; D005511:Food Handling; D005523:Food Supply / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009753:Nutritive Value; D017150:Public Sector; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012574:Schools; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014505:Urban Population