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Development and validation of a food retail environment analysis protocol in Iran
Mohammadhassan Rostami1, Mina Babashahi2,3, Arezoo Rezazadeh4
1Student Research Committee, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Public Health Nutrition
|August 5, 2025
Summary
A new protocol effectively assesses food retail environments in Iran, evaluating product availability, quality, and price. This tool aids in developing strategies to improve access to healthy food options.
Area of Science:
- Public Health Nutrition
- Food Policy Research
- Environmental Health Assessment
Background:
- Understanding the food retail environment is crucial for public health nutrition.
- Existing tools may lack cultural and contextual relevance for diverse settings.
- Developing validated assessment protocols is essential for effective food policy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To adapt and validate a comprehensive Food Retail Environment Analysis Protocol for use in Shiraz, Iran.
- To ensure the protocol is culturally and contextually appropriate for the Iranian food retail landscape.
- To provide a reliable tool for assessing the availability, quality, and pricing of food products in retail settings.
Main Methods:
- Integrated existing validated tools (Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey in Stores, International Network for Food and Obesity/Non-communicable Diseases Research, Monitoring, and Action Support food retail module).
- Employed translation, synthesis, and back-translation for linguistic accuracy.
- Utilized expert panel review for content and face validity, and field-testing for reliability across diverse retail environments.
Main Results:
- Achieved high content validity (CVI: 0.78-1) and face validity (IC: 2.84-4.83).
- Demonstrated strong inter-rater reliability (93.77% agreement, ICC: 0.89-1).
- The protocol covers fourteen food groups, assessing availability, prominence, quality, pricing, and promotions of healthy and unhealthy options.
Conclusions:
- The validated protocol is effective for assessing diverse food retail environments in Iran.
- Provides critical data for policy evaluation and interventions to enhance healthy food access.
- The protocol's adaptability supports broader regional or international public health and food policy applications.
