Rates of childhood obesity and associated comorbidities have been escalating steadily over the past three decades. Children's current food environment promotes excessive consumption of calorie-dense food. The food environment involves the sources of energy and the circumstances surrounding their procurement and consumption. The diffuse and underdeveloped base of research on the food environment of children prohibits health organizations from offering firm recommendations for a lasting solution. A cross-sectional study is proposed to investigate the relationship between the consumer (food store and restaurant) and home food environments and body mass index (BMI) z-scores of 104 sixth to eighth graders from a public middle school in Wilmington, Delaware.
The specific aims of this study are to determine: 1) the relationship between the consumer food environment and BMI, controlling for covariates;2) the relationship between the home food environment and BMI, controlling for covariates;3) the relationship between the consumer and home food environments and BMI, controlling for covariates. Covariates include: dietary intake, physical activity, puberty status, parental BMIs, demographic variables, and other health factors. The study involves administering questionnaires and measuring the weight and height of 10 to 14 year old children at home visits. Environmental surveys of each child's home, store, and restaurant locations will also be performed. The consumer food environment will be measured using the Nutrition Environment Surveys (NEMS) for stores and restaurants. The surveys measure the cost, availability, promotion, and quality of high calorie foods compared to healthier alternatives. The home environment will be measured using a survey adapted from the NEMS store survey and piloted by the applicant. Data analysis will involve descriptive statistics, bivariate, and hierarchical regression analyses. With the limited effectiveness of interventions targeting individual behaviors, the food environment remains a critical risk factor to investigate. The proposed research study will provide critical insight into the relationship between food environments of children and their BMI. The results of this study will help direct future research on the food environment and ultimately lead to more effective obesity prevention interventions. Project Relevance: The obesity epidemic is escalating unchecked, drastically effecting even our country's youngest populations. This cross-sectional study explores the relationship between children's food environments and body mass index, a connection largely unaddressed by researchers. Understanding this relationship will help direct future research and community interventions to address the epidemic.
| Holsten, Joanna E; Compher, Charlene W (2012) Children's food store, restaurant, and home food environments and their relationship with body mass index: a pilot study. Ecol Food Nutr 51:58-78 |
| Holsten, Joanna E; Deatrick, Janet A; Kumanyika, Shiriki et al. (2012) Children's food choice process in the home environment. A qualitative descriptive study. Appetite 58:64-73 |
