Density Of Convenience Stores Research Articles

Contribution of greenness, air pollution, and residential food environment to excess gestational weight gain: A cross-sectional study in Wuhan, China

ObjectivesOur goal was to explore how greenness, air pollution, and residential food environment were linked to excessive gestational weight gain (EGWG), and to estimate their combined effects on this condition. MethodThis cross-sectional analysis included 51,507 pregnant women from the Wuhan Maternal and Child Health Management Information System between 2016 and 2019. Generalized linear mixed regression models were employed to explore the relationships between greenness, air pollution, residential food environmental exposure, and EGWG; and the combined effects were further estimated by cluster analysis and principal components analysis. ResultWe only found a significant association between convenience store density within the 250 m buffer zone (OR = 1.03 and 95% CI: 1.01,1.05) and EGWG. In terms of air pollution, sulfur dioxide(SO2), particulate matter with a diameter of 10 μm or less(PM10), and particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less(PM2.5) were substantially correlated with a higher prevalence of EGWG and higher GWG, with (OR = 1.16 and 95% CI: 1.12,1.21; OR = 1.12 and 95% CI: 1.08,1.16; OR = 1.17 and 95% CI: 1.14,1.21, respectively) per interquartile range(IQR) increase. Cluster analysis revealed the presence of three clusters representing urban exposures. In contrast to urban environment clusters characterized by favourable conditions, those exhibiting elevated air pollution levels, high-density residential food environment and low levels of greenness were found to have increased odds of EGWG (OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.19). ConclusionThis study emphasizes that exposure to elevated air pollution, high-density residential neighbourhood food environments, and low levels of greenness is a neighbourhood obesogenic environment for pregnant women.

Association between density of food retailers and fitness centers and gestational diabetes mellitus in Eastern Massachusetts, USA: population-based study

Few studies have investigated the relationship between the food and physical activity environment and odds of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This study quantifies the association between densities of several types of food establishments and fitness centers with the odds of having GDM. The density of supermarkets, fast-food restaurants, full-service restaurants, convenience stores and fitness centers at 500, 1000 and 1500m (m) buffers was counted at residential addresses of 68,779 pregnant individuals from Eastern Massachusetts during 2000-2016. The 'healthy food index' assessed the relative availability of healthy (supermarkets) vs unhealthy (fast-food restaurants, convenience stores) food retailers. Multivariable logistic regression quantified the cross-sectional association between exposure variables and the odds of having GDM, adjusting for individual and area-level characteristics. Effect modification by area-level socioeconomic status (SES) was assessed. In fully adjusted models, pregnant individuals living in the highest density tertile of fast-food restaurants had higher GDM odds compared to those living in the lowest density tertile (500m: odds ratio (OR):1.17 95% CI: [1.04, 1.31]; 1000m: 1.33 95% CI: [1.15, 1.53]); 1500m: 1.18 95% CI: [1.01, 1.38]). Greater residential density of supermarkets was associated with lower odds of GDM (1000m: 0.86 95% CI: [0.74, 0.99]; 1500m: 0.86 95% CI: [0.72, 1.01]). Similarly, living in the highest fitness center density tertile was associated with decreased GDM odds (500m:0.87 95% CI: [0.76, 0.99]; 1500m: 0.89 95% CI: [0.79, 1.01]). There was no evidence of effect modification by SES and no association found between the healthy food index and GDM odds. In Eastern Massachusetts, living near a greater density of fast-food establishments was associated with higher GDM odds. Greater residential access to supermarkets and fitness centers was associated with lower the odds of having GDM. NIH.

Convenience stores: an obesogenic promoter in a metropolitan area of northern Mexico?

The prevalence of obesity in the Mexican school-age (5-11 years old) population increased from 8.9 to 18.1% between 1999 and 2022. Although overweight and obesity (OW + Ob) is a complex and multifactorial phenomenon, alongside its increasing trend, changes in eating patterns as a result of obesogenic environments that promote higher energy intake have been documented. The objective of the present study was to detect possible associations between schools and their proximity to and density of convenience stores in Monterrey, Mexico from 2015 to 2018. Anthropometric data were obtained from a subset of measurements of the National Registry of Weight and Height (RNPT) performed in the Monterrey Mexico metropolitan area in 2015 and 2018, and obesity prevalence was computed and classified into quintiles at the school level. Convenience store data were obtained from the National Directory of Economic Units (DNUE). The analyses consisted of densities within 400-800 m buffers, distance to the nearest stores, and cartographic visualization of the store's kernel density versus OW + Ob hotspots for both periods. A total of 175,804 children in 2015 and 175,964 in 2018 belonging to 1,552 elementary schools were included in the study; during this period, OW + Ob prevalence increased from 38.7 to 39.3%, and a directly proportional relationship was found between the quintiles with the higher OW + Ob prevalence and the number of stores for both radii. Hotspots of OW + Ob ranged from 63 to 91 between 2015 and 2018, and it was visually confirmed that such spots were associated with areas with a higher density of convenience stores regardless of socioeconomic conditions. Although some relationships between the store's proximity/density and OW + Ob could be identified, more research is needed to gather evidence about this. However, due to the trends and the magnitude of the problem, guidelines aimed at limiting or reducing the availability of junk food and sweetened beverages on the school's periphery must be implemented to control the obesogenic environment.

Spatio-temporal patterns of the mortality of diseases associated with malnutrition and their relationship with food establishments in Mexico

This study explores the spatio-temporal behavior of mortality due to multiple causes associated with several diseases and their relationship with the physical availability of food. We analyze data for the 2010–2020 period at the municipality level in Mexico. After collecting and standardizing national databases for each disease, we perform SATSCAN temporal and FleXScan spatial cluster analyses. We use the he Kruskal-Wallis test to analyze the differences between municipalities with high relative risk of mortality and their relationship with food retail units and food establishments. We found statistically significant relationships between clusters by disease and the physical availability of food per hundred thousand inhabitants. The main pattern is a higher average density of convenience stores, supermarkets, fast food chains and franchises, and Mexican snack restaurants in high-risk municipalities, while a higher density of grocery stores and inns, cheap kitchens, and menu restaurants exists in the municipalities with low risk. The density of convenience stores, fast food chains and franchises, and Mexican snack restaurants plays a very important role in mortality behavior, so measures must exist to regulate them and encourage and protect convenience stores, grocery stores, and local food preparation units.

Association Between County-Level Food Retail and Socioeconomic Environment and Nutritional Quality of Household Food Purchases, 2015.

About 40 million Americans do not have easy access to affordable nutritious foods. Healthier foods are less likely to be available to those living in rural and/or lower-income communities. The objective of this study was to analyze the association between nutritional quality of household food purchases and county-level food retail environment; county-level demographic, health, and socioeconomic indicators; and household composition, demographic characteristics, and socioeconomic characteristics. This study is a secondary analysis of the 2015 Information Resources Inc Consumer Network panel; Purchase-to-Plate Crosswalk, which links US Department of Agriculture nutrition databases to Information Resources Inc scanner data; County Health Rankings; and the Food Environment Atlas data. A total of 63,285 households, representative of the contiguous US population, consistently provided food purchase scanner data from retail stores throughout2015. Nutritional quality of retail food purchases was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015). Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to simultaneously test the relationship between the main outcome and household-level demographic and socioeconomic characteristics as well as the county-level demographic, health, socioeconomic, and retail food environment. Household heads who had higher education and households with higher incomes purchased food of better nutritional quality (ie, higher HEI-2015 scores). Also, the association between retail food purchase HEI-2015 scores and the food environment was weak. Higher density of convenience stores was associated with lower retail food purchase nutritional quality for higher-income households and households living in urban counties, whereas low-income households in counties with higher specialty (including ethnic) store density purchased higher nutritional quality food. Both in the full sample and when stratified by household income or county rural vs urban status, no association was found between grocery store, supercenters, fast-food outlets, and full-service restaurant densities and retail food purchase HEI-2015 scores. HEI-2015 scores were negatively correlated with the county average number of mental health days for higher income and urban households. The study findings suggest that availability of healthier food alone may not improve healthfulness of retail food purchases. Future studies examining the influence of demand-side factors/interventions, such as habits, cultural preferences, nutrition education, and cost/affordability, on household purchasing patterns could provide complementary evidence to inform effective intervention strategies.

Development of an Autonomous Robot Replenishment System for Convenience Stores

With the appealing ability of combining both mobility and manipulability, mobile robot manipulators have been applied to factory automation, telemedicine, warehousing, etc. Due to the high density of convenience stores in Taiwan, Asia, and other countries, we make further use of mobile robot manipulators to develop an autonomous replenishment system. The replenishment task for a convenience store poses challenges given its narrow aisles and the occasional presence of customers. It thus demands thorough consideration of the planning, navigation, and control of the robot, in addition to customer safety. Correspondingly, we propose strategies for task and path planning, in addition to control and sensor fusion. Specifically, a new collision-free path planning algorithm (the DWA-PS) that consider both customer safety and comfort is developed, along with replenishment and control strategies that utilize the flexibility of the mobile robot manipulator to raise working efficiency. For the performance evaluation, we apply the proposed system to conduct a series of replenishment experiments, including in a convenience store near our university.

Association of the retail food environment, BMI, dietary patterns, and socioeconomic position in urban areas of Mexico.

The retail food environment is a key modifiable driver of food choice and the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This study aimed to assess the relationship between the density of food retailers, body mass index (BMI), dietary patterns, and socioeconomic position in Mexico. Cross-sectional dietary data, BMI and socioeconomic characteristics of adult participants came from the nationally representative 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey in Mexico. Geographical and food outlet data were obtained from official statistics. Densities of food outlets per census tract area (CTA) were calculated. Dietary patterns were determined using exploratory factor analysis and principal component analysis. The association of food environment variables, socioeconomic position, BMI, and dietary patterns was assessed using two-level multilevel linear regression models. Three dietary patterns were identified-the healthy, the unhealthy and the carbohydrates-and-drinks dietary pattern. Lower availability of fruit and vegetable stores was associated with an unhealthier dietary pattern whilst a higher restaurant density was associated with a carbohydrates-and-drinks pattern. A graded and inverse association was observed for fruit and vegetable store density and socioeconomic position (SEP)-lower-income populations had a reduced availability of fruit and vegetable stores, compared with higher-income populations. A higher density of convenience stores was associated with a higher BMI when adjusting for unhealthy dietary patterns. Upper-income households were more likely to consume healthy dietary patterns and middle-upper-income households were less likely to consume unhealthy dietary patterns when exposed to high densities of fruit and vegetable stores. When exposed to a high concentration of convenience stores, lower and upper-lower-income households were more likely to consume unhealthy dietary patterns. Food environment and sociodemographic conditions within neighbourhoods may affect dietary behaviours. Food environment interventions and policies which improve access to healthy foods and restrict access to unhealthy foods may facilitate healthier diets and contribute to the prevention of NCDs.

Impact of the built, social, and food environment on long-term weight loss within a behavioral weight loss intervention.

Behavioral weight loss interventions can lead to an average weight loss of 5%-10% of initial body weight, however there is wide individual variability in treatment response. Although built, social, and community food environments can have potential direct and indirect influences on body weight (through their influence on physical activity and energy intake), these environmental factors are rarely considered as predictors of variation in weight loss. Evaluate the association between built, social, and community food environments and changes in weight, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and dietary intake among adults who completed an 18-month behavioral weight loss intervention. Participants included 93 adults (mean±SD; 41.5±8.3years, 34.4±4.2kg/m2, 82% female, 75% white). Environmental variables included urbanicity, walkability, crime, Neighborhood Deprivation Index (includes 13 social economic status factors), and density of convenience stores, grocery stores, and limited-service restaurants at the tract level. Linear regressions examined associations between environment and changes in body weight, waist circumference (WC), MVPA (SenseWear device), and dietary intake (3-day diet records) from baseline to 18months. Grocery store density was inversely associated with change in weight (β=-0.95; p=0.02; R 2=0.062) and WC (β=-1.23; p<0.01; R 2=0.109). Participants living in tracts with lower walkability demonstrated lower baseline MVPA and greater increases in MVPA versus participants with higher walkability (interaction p=0.03). Participants living in tracts with the most deprivation demonstrated greater increases in average daily steps (β=2048.27; p=0.02; R 2=0.039) versus participants with the least deprivation. Limited-service restaurant density was associated with change in % protein intake (β=0.39; p=0.046; R 2=0.051). Environmental factors accounted for some of the variability (<11%) in response to a behavioral weight loss intervention. Grocery store density was positively associated with weight loss at 18months. Additional studies and/or pooled analyses, encompassing greater environmental variation, are required to further evaluate whether environment contributes to weight loss variability.

Changes in retail food environments around schools over 12 years in Flanders, Belgium

Abstract Background Food environments influence food preferences, in particular among children. Besides their homes, children spend most of their time in and around the school. This study mapped changes in retail food environments around primary and secondary schools in Flanders between 2008 and 2020. In addition, associations between those indicators and children's weight status were assessed. Methods The food environment near primary and secondary schools was mapped using three spatial indicators: 1) The density of different types of food retailers within 1000m road distance from the school entrance, 2) the percentage of schools with at least one food retailer of a certain type within 1000m road distance from the entrance, and 3) the median walking distance from the school entrance to the nearest food retailer of a certain type. Associations between the density of convenience stores, as well as fast food outlets around the schools and the weight status of the schools’ children were assessed using generalized linear models adjusted for level of urbanization, socio-economic status of children at school level and sex. Results Food environments near schools in Flanders were found to be unhealthy, with a significant increase in fast-food outlets and convenience stores between 2008 and 2020. Food environments near schools with a higher proportion of children from a poor socio-economic background were found more unhealthy than those near schools with a lower proportion of such children, regardless of the urbanization level. A significant positive association was found between the density of fast food outlets as well as convenience stores around primary schools and the weight status of children aged &amp;lt;6 years and 6-12 years. Conclusions Food environments around schools in Flanders became more unhealthy over time and were associated with children's weight status. The government therefor has the responsibility to create healthy food environments near schools to protect children's health. Key messages • The food environment near schools became more unhealthy between 2008 and 2020. • The food environment near schools was associated with younger children's weight status.

Changes in retail food environments around schools over 12 years and associations with overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in Flanders, Belgium

BackgroundChildren are susceptible to the food environment. This research assessed changes in retail food environments near schools in Flanders between 2008 and 2020 and associations with children’s and adolescents’ weight status.MethodsThe food environment within a 500 m and 1000 m road network distance to all primary and secondary schools was mapped using spatial indicators. The commercial Locatus database, including addresses of all food retailers in Flanders, was used to calculate the density of different types of food retailers near the school perimeter, the percentage of schools with at least one food retailer of a certain type near the school perimeter and the shortest distance from the school entrance to the nearest food retailer of a certain type. A generalized linear model was used to explore associations between these indicators and the percentage of children and adolescents with overweight at the school level.ResultsFood environments near schools in Flanders were found to be unhealthy in 2020, with a significant increase in fast food restaurants and convenience stores between 2008 and 2020. The density of fast food restaurants within a 1000 m walking distance from primary and secondary schools increased from 5.3 ±0.3 to 6.3 ±0.4 and from 10.2 ±0.7 to 12.7 ±0.9 respectively between 2008 and 2020, while the density of convenience stores increased from 3.2 ±0.3 to 3.8 ±0.4 and from 6.2 ±0.6 to 7.6 ±0.8 respectively.Food environments near schools with a higher proportion of children from a poor socio-economic background were found unhealthier, regardless of the urbanization level. A significant positive association was found between the density of fast food restaurants as well as the density of convenience stores around primary schools and the percentage of children aged < 6 years and 6–12 years with overweight. A positive, not significant association was found between the density of fast food restaurants as well as the density of convenience stores around secondary schools and the percentage of adolescents, aged 13–14 and 15–18 years with overweight.ConclusionFood environments around schools in Flanders became unhealthier over time and were associated with children’s weight status.

Association between density of convenience and small grocery stores with diet quality in adults living in Mexico City: A cross sectional study.

There is evidence of the association between different retail stores and food consumption, yet research is still limited in low- and medium-income countries, where the context of the food retail environment is different from that observed in high-income countries. Specifically, less is known about how convenience and small grocery stores, which offer products with immediate access, are associated with the diet as a whole. The present study assessed the association between density of convenience and small grocery stores and diet quality in adults from the Mexico City Representative Diabetes Survey 2015. A final sample size of 1,023 adults aged 20–69 years was analyzed. The density of stores was measured using Euclidean buffers within 500 meters of each participant's home. The Mexican Alternate Healthy Eating Index (MxAHEI) was used to assess diet quality. Multivariable Poisson models were used to test the association of convenience and small grocery stores densities with the MxAHEI. Although our results were not statistically significant, we observed a lower diet quality score among adults from Mexico City living in areas with a higher density of small grocery and convenience stores. More research is needed on the influence of environmental food retail on food consumption.

The Correlation between Convenience Stores’ Distribution and Urban Spatial Function: Taking the FamilyMart Stores in Shanghai as an Example

This manuscript mainly focuses on the correlation between the spatial distribution of convenience stores and the distribution of urban spatial functions. We took 1217 FamilyMart convenience stores within the Shanghai outer ring area as the research objects and used the calculation method of kernel density estimation. The results show that the distribution of Shanghai FamilyMart stores is centered on the three central urban areas of Huangpu District, Jing’an District, and Xuhui District; the high-density areas of convenience stores partially overlap with the city’s main center, and some do not. The research shows that in areas with a high distribution density of convenience stores, the establishment of the convenience stores has a strong correlation with urban spatial functions, and these continence stores have formalized a network deeply integrated with the community. We believe that, in the future, with the development of small retail businesses, these can be transformed into public activity spaces through space transformation and design, which promotes the sustainable development of community interaction and traditional retail business, stimulating the sustainability of community vitality. The results of this study show that this concept has a feasible spatial basis, and the research method can also be applied to the study of other small retail commercial spaces.

Always Open, Seven-Eleven: Education Targeting Healthier Food Choices in a High Convenience Store Density Area in Taipei

To enhance children's health, the promotion of nutrition literacy in school is vital as it helps prevent the development of health conditions and diseases and maintain healthy lifestyles. Taiwan features the top highest ratio of convenience stores per population density. Convenience stores, an increasingly popular dining place, were linked to the development of eating behavior and body weight issues in children. An eight-week classroom-based nutrition intervention, employing the Traffic Light Diet as a framework, targeting children's perception of and intention to visit the convenience store was implemented. The study conducted a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest research design with a comparison group. A total of 49 students participated in the study, with 25 in the intervention and 24 in the comparison group. Data were collected by utilizing surveys, interviews, and observations. The study's findings demonstrated the positive trajectory of the impact of this intervention on increasing food-and-nutrition-related knowledge and improving healthier diet choices at convenience stores among children. One main theme was identified in coding interviews: parent involvement in meal preparation may reduce convenience store use and increase consumption of vegetables among children. Assessing the influence of parental support for healthy dietary choices, eating nutritious foods at home, and involving the family in meal preparation is an area for future research.

Public Rental Housing and Obesogenic Behaviors among Adults in Hong Kong: Mediator Role of Food and Physical Activity Environment.

Public rental housing (PRH) for low-income families has been shown in several studies to be associated with poor health status and obesity. However, the causes of this health disparity are controversial, and the associations and pathways between PRH and obesogenic behaviors remain unknown. Using cross-sectional survey data of 1977 adults living in Hong Kong (aged or over 18) together with multi-source GIS-based environmental data, we examined the associations between PRH and obesogenic behaviors and the extent to which those associations can be explained by neighborhood food and physical environment. The unhealthy food environment, which relates with infrequent fruit and vegetables consumption, was calculated based on the relative density of fast food restaurants and convenience stores to grocery stores. The physical activity environment, which relates to physical inactivity and prolonged sitting, was assessed in terms of density of sports facilities and street greenery, separately. Regressions and mediation analyses show that PRH was negatively associated with physical inactivity directly and also indirectly via higher sports facilities density; however, PRH was positively associated with unhealthy diet largely directly and positively associated with prolonged sitting indirectly via less street greenery. We advanced the international literature of PRH health impact assessment and its environmental health pathways by providing evidence from the least housing-affordable city in the world. The findings provide planning implications in formulating a healthier PRH community for these low-income PRH households and mitigating health disparities induced by housing type.

A pan-Canadian dataset of neighbourhood retail food environment measures using Statistics Canada's Business Register.

The objective of this study was to create the Canadian Food Environment Dataset (Can-FED) and to demonstrate its validity. Food outlet data were extracted from Statistics Canada's Business Register (BR) in 2018. Retail food environment access measures (both absolute and relative measures) were calculated using network buffers around the centroid of 56,589 dissemination areas in Canada. A k-medians clustering approach was used to create categorical food environment variables that were easy to use and amenable to dissemination. Validity of the measures was assessed by comparing the food environment measures from Can-FED with measures created using Enhanced Points of Interest data by DMTI Spatial Inc. and data from a municipal health inspection list. Validity was also assessed by calculating the geographic variability in food environments across census metropolitan areas (CMAs) and assessing associations between CMA-level food environments and CMA-level health indicators. Two versions of Can-FED were created: a researcher file that must be accessed within a secure Statistics Canada environment and a general-use file available online. Agreement between Can-FED food environment measures and those derived from a proprietary dataset and a municipal health inspection list ranged from rs=0.28 for convenience store density and rs=0.53 for restaurant density. At the CMA level, there is wide geographic variation in the food environment with evidence of patterning by health indicators. Can-FED is a valid and accessible dataset of pan-Canadian food environment measures that was created from the BR, a data source that has not been explored fully for health research.

Is Food Outlet Accessibility a Significant Factor of Fruit and Vegetable Intake? Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Province-Wide Study in Quebec, Canada

Unhealthy eating habits can compromise one’s health and generate significant individual, social, and health services costs. The adoption of healthy eating habits depends on individual and environmental determinants related to the characteristics of the physical, economic, political, and socio-cultural environments. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to assess the effect of the physical environment, more precisely the effect of food outlet accessibility, on diet. A subsample of the CARTaGENE survey, composed of 7783 adults aged 40 to 70 years old residing in four cities in Quebec (Canada), was used. Measures of proximity as well as absolute and relative measures of the density of retail food outlets, fast-food outlets, and convenience stores near participants’ residences were used to analyze fruit and vegetable (F&amp;V) intake. Univariate logistic regression showed that the minimal recommended portions of F&amp;V intake (5 or more portions) were significantly associated with all seven measures of the retail food environment (OR between 0.76 and 1.27). However, these relations were mostly non-significant when confounding variables were considered in the analysis except and counterintuitively for proximity to the nearest convenience store and density of convenience stores. Variables most significantly correlated to F&amp;V intake were individual-level confounding variables of sex, income, and education. These results show that more research is needed to understand factors explaining F&amp;V intake in this population.

Diet and Cardiovascular Health

Diet and Cardiovascular Health

Association between density of stores and purchases of ultra-processed food and sugar-sweetened beverages in Mexico.

In Mexico, purchases of ultra-processed food and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and the number of large supermarkets, discount and convenience stores are growing. The objective of this study was to analyze the association between the density of different types of food stores and ultra-processed food and SSB (taxed beverages) purchases in a representative sample of Mexican households. Results show that the density of convenience stores (national and in urban areas) was significantly associated with higher purchases of ultra-processed food and that supermarkets were marginally associated. Our findings are stronger for beverages where we found that convenience stores, discount stores, small grocery stores and stores speciliazed in selling candies, popsicles, soft drinks and other food were associated with higher purchases of taxed beverages. Mexico should implement or strengthen current policies to reduce purchases of ultra-processed food and sugar-sweetened beverages and to regulate the location and density of stores.

The retail food environment and its association with body mass index in Mexico

Background/ObjectiveMexico has one of the highest rates of obesity and overweight worldwide, affecting 75% of the population. The country has experienced a dietary and food retail transition involving increased availability of high-calorie-dense foods and beverages. This study aimed to assess the relationship between the retail food environment and body mass index (BMI) in Mexico.Subjects/MethodsGeographical and food outlet data were obtained from official statistics; anthropometric measurements and socioeconomic characteristics of adult participants (N = 22,219) came from the nationally representative 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT). Densities (store count/census tract area (CTA)) of convenience stores, restaurants, fast-food restaurants, supermarkets and fruit and vegetable stores were calculated. The association of retail food environment variables, sociodemographic data and BMI was tested using multilevel linear regression models.ResultsConvenience store density was high (mean (SD) = 50.0 (36.9)/CTA) compared with other food outlets in Mexico. A unit increase in density of convenience stores was associated with a 0.003 kg/m2 (95% CI: 0.0006, 0.005, p = 0.011) increase in BMI, equivalent to 0.34 kg extra weight for an adult 1.60 m tall for every additional 10% store density increase (number of convenience stores per CTA (km2)). Metropolitan areas showed the highest density of food outlet concentration and the highest associations with BMI (β = 0.01, 95% CI: 0.004–0.01, p < 0.001). A 10% store density increase in these areas would represent a 1 kg increase in weight for an adult 1.60 m tall.ConclusionsConvenience store density was associated with higher mean BMI in Mexican adults. An excessive convenience store availability, that offers unhealthy food options, coupled with low access to healthy food resources or stores retailing healthy food, including fruits and vegetables, may increase the risk of higher BMI. This is the first study to assess the association of the retail food environment and BMI at a national level in Mexico.

Association of Neighborhood Food Environment and Physical Activity Environment With Obesity: A Large-Scale Cross-Sectional Study of Fifth- to Ninth-Grade Children in Japan.

Objective: This study examined the relationship between neighborhood food and physical activity environment, and obesity among elementary and junior high school students in Japan. Methods: The participants were fifth- to ninth-grade children (n=7277), who were attending municipal schools in Japan. Percent overweight (POW) was calculated using their age, gender, height, and weight, which were collected through a questionnaire. A POW of < 20% was considered non-obese, while ≥ 20% was considered obese. Furthermore, using a geographic information system, we investigated the density of convenience stores, fast-food stores, casual restaurants, supermarkets and department stores, parks, sports facilities, stations, and intersections in the school district. Additionally, from the census, we obtained information regarding the population density of the municipality where the participants’ schools were located. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between obesity and food environment (the food environment model), between obesity and physical activity environment (the physical activity environment model), and among obesity, food, and physical activity environment (the food and physical activity environment model). Results: In the food environment model and the food and physical activity environment model, the density of convenience stores showed a significant positive association. In the physical activity environment model, the density of stations showed a significant negative association. Conclusion: This study’s findings can contribute to the development of appropriate community interventions for improving children’s health in Japan and similar areas.