Data Collection Instruments for Obesogenic Environments in Adults: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Environmental Health
• Obesity Research

Background:

• Rising obesity prevalence necessitates understanding obesogenic environments.
• Obesogenic environments significantly influence excess weight gain in adults.
• Existing data collection instruments lack standardization, hindering comparative research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and map data collection instruments for obesogenic environments in adults.
• To provide an overview of existing evidence and identify gaps in instrument validation and comparability.
• To inform the development of standardized tools for assessing environmental influences on obesity.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review was conducted, searching multiple databases and webpages from January 1997 to May 2018.
• Instruments targeting adults and focusing on food or built environments were included.
• Documents were categorized into food environment, built environment, or both.

Main Results:

• A total of 92 instruments were identified: 46 for food environment, 42 for built environment, and 4 for both.
• Numerous diverse instruments exist, with many developed based on existing ones.
• Most instruments lack validation, exhibit low similarity, and are primarily from the United States, hindering cross-cultural comparisons.

Conclusions:

• There is a critical need for a robust, validated instrument to measure obesogenic environments effectively.
• Existing instruments require improvement or combination to enhance comparability across studies and countries.
• Future research should adopt interdisciplinary approaches and sophisticated study designs to comprehensively assess environmental impacts on obesity.