Convenience stores: an obesogenic promoter in a metropolitan area of northern Mexico?
IntroductionThe prevalence of obesity in the Mexican school-age (5–11 years old) population increased from 8.9 to 18.1% between 1999 and 2022. Although overweight and obesity (OW + Ob) is a complex and multifactorial phenomenon, alongside its increasing trend, changes in eating patterns as a result...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Nutrition |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1331990/full |
| _version_ | 1797272652915671040 |
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| author | Marco Antonio Ávila Arcos Teresa Shamah Levy Marti Yareli Del Monte Vega Adolfo Chávez Villasana Abelardo Ávila Curiel |
| author_facet | Marco Antonio Ávila Arcos Teresa Shamah Levy Marti Yareli Del Monte Vega Adolfo Chávez Villasana Abelardo Ávila Curiel |
| author_sort | Marco Antonio Ávila Arcos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThe prevalence of obesity in the Mexican school-age (5–11 years old) population increased from 8.9 to 18.1% between 1999 and 2022. Although overweight and obesity (OW + Ob) is a complex and multifactorial phenomenon, alongside its increasing trend, changes in eating patterns as a result of obesogenic environments that promote higher energy intake have been documented. The objective of the present study was to detect possible associations between schools and their proximity to and density of convenience stores in Monterrey, Mexico from 2015 to 2018.Materials and methodsAnthropometric data were obtained from a subset of measurements of the National Registry of Weight and Height (RNPT) performed in the Monterrey Mexico metropolitan area in 2015 and 2018, and obesity prevalence was computed and classified into quintiles at the school level. Convenience store data were obtained from the National Directory of Economic Units (DNUE). The analyses consisted of densities within 400-800 m buffers, distance to the nearest stores, and cartographic visualization of the store’s kernel density versus OW + Ob hotspots for both periods.ResultsA total of 175,804 children in 2015 and 175,964 in 2018 belonging to 1,552 elementary schools were included in the study; during this period, OW + Ob prevalence increased from 38.7 to 39.3%, and a directly proportional relationship was found between the quintiles with the higher OW + Ob prevalence and the number of stores for both radii. Hotspots of OW + Ob ranged from 63 to 91 between 2015 and 2018, and it was visually confirmed that such spots were associated with areas with a higher density of convenience stores regardless of socioeconomic conditions.ConclusionAlthough some relationships between the store’s proximity/density and OW + Ob could be identified, more research is needed to gather evidence about this. However, due to the trends and the magnitude of the problem, guidelines aimed at limiting or reducing the availability of junk food and sweetened beverages on the school’s periphery must be implemented to control the obesogenic environment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:31:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e27c09633b13465f850bf2f540c7a641 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-861X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:31:28Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj.art-e27c09633b13465f850bf2f540c7a6412024-03-06T04:26:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Nutrition2296-861X2024-03-011110.3389/fnut.2024.13319901331990Convenience stores: an obesogenic promoter in a metropolitan area of northern Mexico?Marco Antonio Ávila Arcos0Teresa Shamah Levy1Marti Yareli Del Monte Vega2Adolfo Chávez Villasana3Abelardo Ávila Curiel4Center for Research on Evaluation and Surveys, National Institute of Public Health of Mexico, Cuernavaca, MexicoCenter for Research on Evaluation and Surveys, National Institute of Public Health of Mexico, Cuernavaca, MexicoApplied Nutrition and Nutritional Education Department, National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, MexicoApplied Nutrition and Nutritional Education Department, National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, MexicoApplied Nutrition and Nutritional Education Department, National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, MexicoIntroductionThe prevalence of obesity in the Mexican school-age (5–11 years old) population increased from 8.9 to 18.1% between 1999 and 2022. Although overweight and obesity (OW + Ob) is a complex and multifactorial phenomenon, alongside its increasing trend, changes in eating patterns as a result of obesogenic environments that promote higher energy intake have been documented. The objective of the present study was to detect possible associations between schools and their proximity to and density of convenience stores in Monterrey, Mexico from 2015 to 2018.Materials and methodsAnthropometric data were obtained from a subset of measurements of the National Registry of Weight and Height (RNPT) performed in the Monterrey Mexico metropolitan area in 2015 and 2018, and obesity prevalence was computed and classified into quintiles at the school level. Convenience store data were obtained from the National Directory of Economic Units (DNUE). The analyses consisted of densities within 400-800 m buffers, distance to the nearest stores, and cartographic visualization of the store’s kernel density versus OW + Ob hotspots for both periods.ResultsA total of 175,804 children in 2015 and 175,964 in 2018 belonging to 1,552 elementary schools were included in the study; during this period, OW + Ob prevalence increased from 38.7 to 39.3%, and a directly proportional relationship was found between the quintiles with the higher OW + Ob prevalence and the number of stores for both radii. Hotspots of OW + Ob ranged from 63 to 91 between 2015 and 2018, and it was visually confirmed that such spots were associated with areas with a higher density of convenience stores regardless of socioeconomic conditions.ConclusionAlthough some relationships between the store’s proximity/density and OW + Ob could be identified, more research is needed to gather evidence about this. However, due to the trends and the magnitude of the problem, guidelines aimed at limiting or reducing the availability of junk food and sweetened beverages on the school’s periphery must be implemented to control the obesogenic environment.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1331990/fullchildhood obesitygeographic information systemsobesogenic environmentspatial analisisscholar population |
| spellingShingle | Marco Antonio Ávila Arcos Teresa Shamah Levy Marti Yareli Del Monte Vega Adolfo Chávez Villasana Abelardo Ávila Curiel Convenience stores: an obesogenic promoter in a metropolitan area of northern Mexico? Frontiers in Nutrition childhood obesity geographic information systems obesogenic environment spatial analisis scholar population |
| title | Convenience stores: an obesogenic promoter in a metropolitan area of northern Mexico? |
| title_full | Convenience stores: an obesogenic promoter in a metropolitan area of northern Mexico? |
| title_fullStr | Convenience stores: an obesogenic promoter in a metropolitan area of northern Mexico? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Convenience stores: an obesogenic promoter in a metropolitan area of northern Mexico? |
| title_short | Convenience stores: an obesogenic promoter in a metropolitan area of northern Mexico? |
| title_sort | convenience stores an obesogenic promoter in a metropolitan area of northern mexico |
| topic | childhood obesity geographic information systems obesogenic environment spatial analisis scholar population |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1331990/full |
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