title: The food environment of youth baseball.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sports, such as youth baseball (YB), are popular outlets for increasing activity, yet there has been no investigation of food environments surrounding them. The aim of this study was to observe the types of foods available and consumed by players and spectators at YB events.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was an observational assessment, by environmental scan, of foods consumed by players and family members at a YB field in northwest North Carolina.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants included boys from six YB teams (n=51) between 8 and 11 years of age and families. A total of 12 YB games were observed. Most team snacks (72%) consisted of high-calorie food items, including French fries, candy, and cookies; most beverages (53%) consumed by players were sugar sweetened. We observed 313 spectators and players, who consumed a total of 249 foods and 276 beverages. Most food and beverage items (89%) were purchased from the concession stand, of which 73% were considered less-healthy options.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High-calorie snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages dominate the YB environment. Despite the benefits of participating in sports, families of children participating in sports leagues may be increasing their risk for poor nutritional habits as a result of increased exposure to unhealthy foods and disruption of meal times.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine , Winston-Salem, NC.
authors.forename: Megan B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Irby
authors.forename: Marcie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Drury-Brown
authors.forename: Joseph A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Skelton
mesh_terms: D001484:Baseball; D002253:Carbonated Beverages; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005509:Food Dispensers, Automatic / Q000592:standards; D005522:Food Services / Q000592:standards; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009657:North Carolina; D009753:Nutritive Value; D011050:Policy Making; D062410:Snacks; D012931:Social Environment
references.citation: J Nutr Educ Behav. 2012 Jul-Aug;44(4):365-71
references.pmid: 22507257
references.citation: Pediatrics. 2010 Oct;126(4):e754-61
references.pmid: 20876172
references.citation: Circulation. 2010 Mar 23;121(11):1356-64
references.pmid: 20308626
references.citation: Bull World Health Organ. 2008 Jul;86(7):535-541A
references.pmid: 18670665
references.citation: Am J Clin Nutr. 2006 Aug;84(2):274-88
references.pmid: 16895873
references.citation: Am J Public Health. 2007 Apr;97(4):667-75
references.pmid: 17329656
references.citation: J Natl Med Assoc. 2005 Apr;97(4):527-34
references.pmid: 15868772
references.citation: Public Health Nutr. 2012 Aug;15(8):1373-9
references.pmid: 22123225
references.citation: Can J Diet Pract Res. 2011 Winter;72(4):177
references.pmid: 22146115
references.citation: Public Health Nutr. 2013 May;16(5):815-23
references.pmid: 23149122
references.citation: Curr Sports Med Rep. 2011 Nov-Dec;10(6):360-70
references.pmid: 22071397
references.citation: BMC Public Health. 2011 Jun 01;11:423
references.pmid: 21631946
references.citation: Pediatrics. 2011 Jun;127(6):1182-9
references.pmid: 21624882
references.citation: Am J Prev Med. 2007 Apr;32(4):282-9
references.pmid: 17383559
references.citation: J Nurs Res. 2004 Jun;12(2):83-91
references.pmid: 15208773
references.citation: Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2011 Apr;165(4):294-9
references.pmid: 21135319
references.citation: Can J Public Health. 2013 Jan 08;104(2):e167-9
references.pmid: 23618211
references.citation: Am J Prev Med. 2007 Apr;32(4):273-81
references.pmid: 17383558
references.citation: J Adolesc Health. 2009 Nov;45(5):517-24
references.pmid: 19837359
references.citation: JAMA. 2012 Feb 1;307(5):483-90
references.pmid: 22253364
references.citation: J Am Diet Assoc. 2010 Oct;110(10):1477-84
references.pmid: 20869486
references.citation: Health Promot Int. 2015 Sep;30(3):418-26
references.pmid: 23945086
references.citation: Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2010 May;7(5):2208-21
references.pmid: 20623020
references.citation: Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2001 Jun;155(6):711-7
references.pmid: 11386963
references.citation: Pediatrics. 2007 Dec;120 Suppl 4:S164-92
references.pmid: 18055651
references.citation: J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Mar;109(3):509-27
references.pmid: 19278045