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Review
. 2022 Oct 24;19(21):13806.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph192113806.

Development and Validation of a Set of Instruments to Measure Food Environments

Jacqueline Araneda-Flores  1 , Patricio Oliva Moresco  1 , Gladys Quezada-Figueroa  1 , Luz Lobos-Fernandez  1 , Barbara Leyton  2 , Anna Christina Pinheiro  3
Affiliations
Review

Development and Validation of a Set of Instruments to Measure Food Environments

Jacqueline Araneda-Flores et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: There is worldwide interest in measuring local food environments (FEs). The aim of this study was to develop and validate a set of instruments to evaluate FEs in Chile.

Methods: Based on the development and validation of four instruments to measure FEs, a literature review, an evaluation by experts, and the implementation of a pilot tool in the FEs of schoolchildren from nine public schools in the commune of Chillán, Chile, were used.

Results: A tool to evaluate FEs was provided, based on three dimensions: availability, variety, and advertising of healthy foods. A total of 1928 foods points of purchase were evaluated. The reliability was evaluated by Cronbach's alpha. Some 74% of the foods' points of purchase were store locations. The reliability of the four instruments was high to acceptable (store: 0.90; institution: 0.77; street food: 0.74; restaurant: 0.68). Unhealthy foods were highlighted by the scores obtained: store (6.08 ± 4.07; range: 0-13), restaurant (3.95 ± 1.75; range: 0-10), street food (1.18 ± 1.56; range: 0-7), and institution FEs (3.38 ± 2.78; range: 0-9).

Conclusions: The results of this tool can provide information to governments for incorporating structural measures to ensure adequate availability, variety, and advertising of healthy foods in different FEs.

Keywords: Chile; evaluation; food environment; nutrition.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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