Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026
04:56
Assessment of Social Transmission of Food Preferences Behaviors
Published on: January 25, 2018
Association between fast food purchasing and the local food environment
Lukar E Thornton1, A M Kavanagh
1Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.
Nutrition & Diabetes
|December 5, 2012
Summary
Healthier food environments may reduce fast food consumption. A new food environment score (FES) indicated that areas with healthier food options were associated with less frequent fast food purchasing.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Understanding the impact of local food environments on dietary choices is crucial for public health interventions.
- Fast food consumption remains a significant public health concern, linked to various chronic diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate an instrument to measure food environment characteristics.
- To investigate the association between the overall food environment and fast food purchasing behaviors.
Main Methods:
- A food environment score (FES) was created by categorizing and weighting food stores based on their contribution to healthy/unhealthy eating.
- A cross-sectional study utilized multilevel multinomial regression with 2547 participants.
- The study analyzed the relationship between FES and fast food purchasing habits.
Main Results:
- Higher healthy FES tertiles were linked to a lower likelihood of both infrequent and frequent fast food purchasing.
- Infrequent fast food purchasing remained significant (OR 0.52) in healthier food environments when accounting for unhealthy FES.
- Living in areas with a higher unhealthy FES than healthy FES increased infrequent fast food purchasing (OR 1.35).
Conclusions:
- Healthier food environments show potential in discouraging fast food consumption.
- The findings suggest that improving the food environment could be a viable strategy to reduce reliance on fast food.
Related Concept Videos
01:53Cause and Effect
While variables are sometimes correlated because one does cause the other, it could also be that some other factor, a confounding variable, is actually causing the systematic movement in our variables of interest. For instance, as sales in ice cream increase, so does the overall rate of crime. Is it possible that indulging in your favorite flavor of ice cream could send you on a crime spree? Or, after committing crime do you think you might decide to treat yourself to a cone?
02:27Background and Environment Affect Phenotype
Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...
01:20Gene-Environment Interactions
Gene expression is a dynamic process that is significantly influenced by environmental factors. This interaction underlies the complex nature of biological development and the phenotypic differences observed among individuals, even among those with identical genetic makeups. Factors such as radiation, temperature, behavior, nutrition, and stress play pivotal roles in determining how genes are expressed. The concept of the reaction range is central to understanding this interaction. It posits...
02:01Factorial Design
Factorial Analysis is an experimental design that applies Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) statistical procedures to examine a change in a dependent variable due to more than one independent variable, also known as factors. Changes in worker productivity can be reasoned, for example, to be influenced by salary and other conditions, such as skill level. One way to test this hypothesis is by categorizing salary into three levels (low, moderate, and high) and skills sets into two levels (entry level...
01:22Factors Influencing Attraction I: Proximity
Proximity plays a fundamental role in shaping interpersonal attraction by increasing opportunities for interaction and fostering familiarity. Research consistently demonstrates that individuals are more likely to form social bonds with those who are physically closer to them, whether in residential settings, workplaces, or educational institutions. This effect is largely driven by the increased frequency of encounters, which facilitates the development of friendships and romantic...
01:21Dimensions of Health and Illness
The factors influencing the health-illness continuum can be internal or external and may or may not be under conscious control. They are related to the following eight human dimensions, and each dimension is interrelated to one other.