title: Assessment of a University Campus Food Environment, California, 2015.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  University campuses offer an opportunity to study the extent to which modifying the food environment influences eating, but in-depth characterizations of campus food environments are needed to identify potential targets for intervention. The objective of this project was to describe the availability, accessibility, and quality of healthful food choices in dining venues and food stores at or near a public, 4-year university in California.
  
  
  METHODS
  Trained assessors used the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for campus dining (NEMS-CD) to evaluate all 18 campus dining venues, and NEMS for stores (NEMS-S) to evaluate 2 on-campus and 37 off-campus food stores. We calculated prevalence of healthful and unhealthful constructs (eg, availability of selected food items, presence of signage encouraging healthful eating, pricing options that encourage healthful eating), based on the NEMS and compared scores across different types of venues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  NEMS-CD scores ranged from 4 to 47 (mean [SD], 26.0 [14.4]) out of a possible maximum score of 97; 12% of entrées and 36% of main dish salads served in these venues were classified as healthful. NEMS-S score for the 2 on-campus food stores (24 for both) was intermediate between off-campus convenience stores (mean [SD], 12.0 [5.3]) and grocery/supermarket stores (mean [SD], 31.1 [10.0]), with a possible maximum score of 54.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Standardized environmental evaluation provides insights into both positive and negative aspects of campus community food venues. Environmental assessment identifies potential targets for modification and baseline data for designing and implementing action-oriented research aimed at improving the campus food environment's support of healthful food choices for college students.
authors: Center for Solutions Through Research in Diet & Exercise (STRIDE) and the Kinesiology Department, California Polytechnic State University, 1 Grand Ave, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407. Email: mtseng@calpoly.edu.
authors: Marilyn
authors: M
authors: Tseng
authors: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California.
authors: Kelsey
authors: K
authors: DeGreef
authors: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California.
authors: Madison
authors: M
authors: Fishler
authors: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California.
authors: Rachel
authors: R
authors: Gipson
authors: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California.
authors: Kelly
authors: K
authors: Koyano
authors: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California.
authors: Dawn B
authors: DB
authors: Neill
mesh_terms: D002140:California; D003132:Commerce; D005502:Food / Q000145:classification*; D006801:Humans; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012931:Social Environment; D014495:Universities