title: Development of a structured observational method for the systematic assessment of school food-choice architecture.
abstract: The objective of this study is to develop a structured observational method for the systematic assessment of the food-choice architecture that can be used to identify key points for behavioral economic intervention intended to improve the health quality of children's diets. We use an ethnographic approach with observations at twelve elementary schools to construct our survey instrument. Elements of the structured observational method include decision environment, salience, accessibility/convenience, defaults/verbal prompts, number of choices, serving ware/method/packaging, and social/physical eating environment. Our survey reveals important "nudgeable" components of the elementary school food-choice architecture, including precommitment and default options on the lunch line.
authors.affiliation: a Economics Department, Darla Moore School of Business , University of South Carolina , Columbia , South Carolina , USA.
authors.forename: Orgul D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.affiliation: a Economics Department, Darla Moore School of Business , University of South Carolina , Columbia , South Carolina , USA.
authors.forename: Melayne M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: McInnes
authors.affiliation: b Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior , Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina , Columbia , South Carolina , USA.
authors.forename: Christine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Blake
authors.affiliation: b Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior , Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina , Columbia , South Carolina , USA.
authors.forename: Edward A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Frongillo
authors.affiliation: c Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities , University of South Carolina , Columbia , South Carolina , USA.
authors.forename: Sonya J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002755:Choice Behavior; D004032:Diet; D005518:Food Preferences; D005522:Food Services; D006801:Humans; D062409:Lunch; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D064887:Observational Studies as Topic; D012574:Schools; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students
keywords: Behavioral economics; childhood nutrition; defaults; food choice; food choice architecture; nudges; observational assessment; school lunch