A Review of Environmental Influences on Food Choices
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
A Review of Environmental Influences on Food Choices Nicole Larson, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D. & Mary Story, Ph.D., R.D.
Published online: 3 October 2009 # The Society of Behavioral Medicine 2009
Abstract Background Diet-related environmental and policy interventions are being advocated at a population level because individual change is more likely to be facilitated and sustained if the environment within which choices are made supports healthful food options. Purpose This study aims to review research that examines factors having an influence on food choices in social environments, physical environments, and macroenvironments. Methods A snowball strategy was used to identify relevant peer-reviewed studies and reviews, with a focus on research completed in the US and published within the past 10 years. Results Research has identified a number of environmental factors associated with dietary intake; however, the majority of completed studies have methodological limitations which limit their credibility to guide interventions and policy changes. Conclusions Future research will need to emphasize multilevel investigations, examine how associations vary across population subgroups, develop a standard set of measures for assessing food environments and policies, and improve dietary assessment methodology. Keywords Dietary intake . Eating behavior . Social norms . Environment . Policy
Introduction What and how much people eat defines to a large extent their health [1]. As obesity and other diet-related chronic N. Larson (*) : M. Story University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA e-mail: [email protected]
diseases are recognized as major public health issues associated with risk for several of the leading causes of death and disability, there is strong interest in the determinants of food selection and the most effective ways to provide food guidance to individuals and populations to improve their health and well-being. It is known that eating behavior is highly complex, resulting from the interplay of multiple influences across different contexts and conditions. There is growing interest in the role of the environment in promoting or hindering healthy eating. It has been suggested that individual change is more likely to be facilitated and sustained if the environment within which choices are made supports healthful food options [1]. Swinburn et al. emphasize that as with other major public health issues, such as smoking reduction, injury prevention, and infectious disease prevention, success at the population level for reducing obesity and diet-related chronic diseases is not likely to occur until environmental influences are identified and modified [2]. Diet-related environmental and policy interventions are also being advocated at a population level because individual behavior change strategies are expensive and cannot reach large numbers of people on a cost-effective basis. Environmental changes may also have a more lasting effect on behavior change because they can become incorporated into structures, sy
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