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Meta-Analysis
. 2021 Feb;22 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):e12944.
doi: 10.1111/obr.12944. Epub 2019 Sep 10.

Fast-food restaurant, unhealthy eating, and childhood obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Peng Jia  1   2 , Miyang Luo  2   3   4 , Yamei Li  5 , Ju-Sheng Zheng  6 , Qian Xiao  2   7   8 , Jiayou Luo  2   5
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Fast-food restaurant, unhealthy eating, and childhood obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Peng Jia et al. Obes Rev. 2021 Feb.

Abstract

Excessive access to fast-food restaurants (FFRs) in the neighbourhood is thought to be a risk factor for childhood obesity by discouraging healthful dietary behaviours while encouraging the exposure to unhealthful food venues and hence the compensatory intake of unhealthy food option. A literature search was conducted in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase for articles published until 1 January 2019 that analysed the association between access to FFRs and weight-related behaviours and outcomes among children aged younger than 18. Sixteen cohort studies and 71 cross-sectional studies conducted in 14 countries were identified. While higher FFR access was not associated with weight-related behaviours (eg, dietary quality score and frequency of food consumption) in most studies, it was commonly associated with more fast-food consumption. Despite that, insignificant results were observed for all meta-analyses conducted by different measures of FFR access in the neighbourhood and weight-related outcomes, although 17 of 39 studies reported positive associations when using overweight/obesity as the outcome. This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed a rather mixed relationship between FFR access and weight-related behaviours/outcomes among children and adolescents.

Keywords: dietary behaviour; fast food; food environment; obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

No conflict of interest was declared.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flowchart of study inclusion and exclusion
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Meta‐analysis of associations between presence of fast‐food restaurants in the neighbourhood and childhood overweight/obesity [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Meta‐analysis of associations between density of fast‐food restaurants in the neighbourhood and childhood overweight/obesity [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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