Characterizing food environments near schools in California: A latent class approach simultaneously using multiple food outlet types and two spatial scales
It is challenging to evaluate associations between the food environment near schools with either prevalence of childhood obesity or with socioeconomic characteristics of schools. This is because the food environment has many dimensions, including its spatial distribution. We used latent class analys...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Preventive Medicine Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335522002443 |
| _version_ | 1811267027334070272 |
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| author | Brisa N. Sánchez Han Fu Mika Matsuzaki Emma Sanchez-Vaznaugh |
| author_facet | Brisa N. Sánchez Han Fu Mika Matsuzaki Emma Sanchez-Vaznaugh |
| author_sort | Brisa N. Sánchez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | It is challenging to evaluate associations between the food environment near schools with either prevalence of childhood obesity or with socioeconomic characteristics of schools. This is because the food environment has many dimensions, including its spatial distribution. We used latent class analysis to classify public schools in urban, suburban, and rural areas in California into food environment classes based on the availability and spatial distribution of multiple types of unhealthy food outlets nearby. All urban schools had at least one unhealthy food outlet nearby, compared to seventy-two percent of schools in rural areas did. Food environment classes varied in the quantity of available food outlets, the relative mix of food outlet types, and the outlets’ spatial distribution near schools. Regardless of urbanicity, schools in low-income neighborhoods had greater exposure to unhealthy food outlets. The direction of associations between food environment classes and school size, type, and race/ethnic composition depends on the level of urbanicity of the school locations. Urban schools attended primarily by African American and Asian children are more likely to have greater exposures to unhealthy food outlets. In urban and rural but not suburban areas, schools attended primarily by Latino students had more outlets offering unhealthy foods or beverages nearby. In suburban areas, differences in the spatial distribution of food outlets indicates that food outlets are more likely to cluster near K-12 schools and high schools compared to elementary schools. Intervention design and future research need to consider that the associations between food environment exposures and school characteristics differ by urbanicity. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T20:55:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d12c2f1b390c46138d12730a9ecef600 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2211-3355 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T20:55:09Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Preventive Medicine Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-d12c2f1b390c46138d12730a9ecef6002022-12-22T03:17:01ZengElsevierPreventive Medicine Reports2211-33552022-10-0129101937Characterizing food environments near schools in California: A latent class approach simultaneously using multiple food outlet types and two spatial scalesBrisa N. Sánchez0Han Fu1Mika Matsuzaki2Emma Sanchez-Vaznaugh3Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Corresponding author at: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel University, Dornsife School of Public Health, 3600 Market St, Rm 728, Philadelphia, PA 19104.Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, USADepartment of International Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USAHealth Education Department, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USAIt is challenging to evaluate associations between the food environment near schools with either prevalence of childhood obesity or with socioeconomic characteristics of schools. This is because the food environment has many dimensions, including its spatial distribution. We used latent class analysis to classify public schools in urban, suburban, and rural areas in California into food environment classes based on the availability and spatial distribution of multiple types of unhealthy food outlets nearby. All urban schools had at least one unhealthy food outlet nearby, compared to seventy-two percent of schools in rural areas did. Food environment classes varied in the quantity of available food outlets, the relative mix of food outlet types, and the outlets’ spatial distribution near schools. Regardless of urbanicity, schools in low-income neighborhoods had greater exposure to unhealthy food outlets. The direction of associations between food environment classes and school size, type, and race/ethnic composition depends on the level of urbanicity of the school locations. Urban schools attended primarily by African American and Asian children are more likely to have greater exposures to unhealthy food outlets. In urban and rural but not suburban areas, schools attended primarily by Latino students had more outlets offering unhealthy foods or beverages nearby. In suburban areas, differences in the spatial distribution of food outlets indicates that food outlets are more likely to cluster near K-12 schools and high schools compared to elementary schools. Intervention design and future research need to consider that the associations between food environment exposures and school characteristics differ by urbanicity.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335522002443Unhealthy food outletsFood environment near schoolsUrbanicity differencesDisparities |
| spellingShingle | Brisa N. Sánchez Han Fu Mika Matsuzaki Emma Sanchez-Vaznaugh Characterizing food environments near schools in California: A latent class approach simultaneously using multiple food outlet types and two spatial scales Preventive Medicine Reports Unhealthy food outlets Food environment near schools Urbanicity differences Disparities |
| title | Characterizing food environments near schools in California: A latent class approach simultaneously using multiple food outlet types and two spatial scales |
| title_full | Characterizing food environments near schools in California: A latent class approach simultaneously using multiple food outlet types and two spatial scales |
| title_fullStr | Characterizing food environments near schools in California: A latent class approach simultaneously using multiple food outlet types and two spatial scales |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterizing food environments near schools in California: A latent class approach simultaneously using multiple food outlet types and two spatial scales |
| title_short | Characterizing food environments near schools in California: A latent class approach simultaneously using multiple food outlet types and two spatial scales |
| title_sort | characterizing food environments near schools in california a latent class approach simultaneously using multiple food outlet types and two spatial scales |
| topic | Unhealthy food outlets Food environment near schools Urbanicity differences Disparities |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335522002443 |
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