Abstract P126: Availability of Fast-food Outlets is Associated with Intake of Fast-food

Abstract

Introduction: Intake of fast-food is associated with an increased risk of health outcomes. The prevalence of obesity and chronic diseases is higher among deprived individuals; studies have shown that the availability of fast-food outlets (FFO) are higher in deprived neighbourhoods than in non-deprived neighbourhoods. Some studies find an association between the availability of FFO and unhealthy diet. Most of studies are performed in US or Australia with different context to Denmark. We hypothesize that a high degree of availability of fast-food is associated with high intake of fast-food in a Danish population. The aim is to examine the association between availability of FFO and frequency of fast-food intake. Methods: Health survey data from the Capital Region of Denmark used in the analyses included a random sample of 95.150 inhabitants aged 16+ from 29 municipalities. Response rate:52,3%. Information’s on fast-food intake and socioeconomic factors is derived from a questionnaire survey (How are you 2010?). Information on FFO is collected through central a register using a validated name recognition method (sensitivity: 82%). Using network analyses in Geographic Information System proximity (Road network distance to the nearest FFO) and density (numbers of FFO within 1 km) of FFO are calculated for each participant. Multilevel regression analyses taking neighbourhood, individual social factors, age and sex into account are performed. Results: 17 % of the population eats fast-food at least once a week, the proportion varies between 10.1% in the rural areas to 27.2 % in the inner-city of Copenhagen. Individuals living in high density areas or with low proximity have a significantly higher risk of eating fast-food once weekly; Compared to individuals living with 0-4 FFO within 1 km the OR’s were 1.4 (95% CI: 1.3-1.6) and 1.8 (95 % CI: 1.7-2.0) for individuals living with 5-9 or ≥ 10 FFO, respectively. After adjustment for individual and contextual factors the OR’s diminished to 1.13, but remained significant. The same picture was seen for proximity, the greater distance to the nearest FFO the lower risk of eating fats-food. Conclusions: This paper shows that availability of fast-food outlets is associated with frequency of eating fast-food weekly. In order to prevent the epidemic of obesity and development of chronic diseases, this may have an impact on future urban planning of fast-food outlets.