title: The food retail environment in school neighborhoods and its relation to lunchtime eating behaviors in youth from three countries.
abstract: This study examined the relation between the chain food retail environment surrounding schools, youths' lunchtime eating behavior, and youths' obesity levels across three countries. Participants consisted of 26,778 students 13-15 years old from 687 schools across Canada, Scotland and the US. The density of convenience stores, chain fast food restaurants, and chain cafés within 1 km of each school was measured. Lunchtime eating behaviors, weight, and height were self-reported. Although the density of chain food retailers was highest in the US, fewer American students (2.6%) routinely ate their lunch at a food retailer during the school week than did Canadian (7.7%) and Scottish (43.7%) students. The density of chain food retailers was associated with eating lunch at a food retailer in Canada only whereby students attending schools with 1-2, 3-4, and 5+ chain food retailers within 1 km from their schools were 1.39 (95% CI: 0.84-2.29), 1.87 (95% CI: 1.10-3.20), and 2.50 (95% CI: 1.56-4.01) times more likely to eat at a chain food retailer compared to students attending schools with no nearby chain food retailers. No associations were found between chain food retailer density and obesity.
authors.affiliation: School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Queen's University, 28 Division St, Kingston, ON, Canada K7L 3N6.
authors.forename: Mariane
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Héroux
authors.forename: Ronald J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Iannotti
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Currie
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pickett
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Janssen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D057140:Fast Foods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000600:supply & distribution; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012147:Restaurants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology