Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Health Promotion Journal of Australia
Volume
34
Issue
1
First Page
85
Last Page
90
PubMed ID
36433680
Publisher
Wiley
School
Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute / School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
52788
Funders
Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship/ Cancer Council Western Australia / Healthway Research Exploratory Grant / Telethon Kids Institute / Healthway Research Fellowship. Grant Number: 32892
Grant Number
ARC Number : DE210101791
Grant Link
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE210101791
Abstract
Issue addressed: Locating fast-food outlets near schools is a potential public health risk to schoolchildren, given the easy access and repeated exposure to energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods they provide. Fast-food outlet availability near schools has not been previously investigated in Perth, Western Australia. This study aimed to quantify fast-food outlet availability near Perth schools and determine whether differences in area-level disadvantage and school type exist. Methods: Fast-food outlet locations were sourced from Perth Local Governments in 2018/2019. All Perth Primary (n = 454), Secondary (n = 107) and K-12 (n = 94) schools were assigned an area-level disadvantage decile ranking based on the Australian Bureau of Statistics Socio-Economic Index for Areas (SEIFA). Regression models assessed whether fast-food outlet availability within 400 m, 800 m and 1 km of schools differed by school type (ie, Primary/Secondary/K-12) or SEIFA. Results: Secondary schools were significantly more likely than Primary and K-12 schools to have a higher presence and density of fast-food outlets and the “Top 4” fast-food outlet chains (McDonalds, Hungry Jacks, KFC and Red Rooster) nearby. Schools located in low socio-economic status (SES) areas had a significantly higher density of fast-food outlets within 400 m, and “Top 4” fast-food outlet chains within 400 m and 1 km, than schools located in high SES area. Conclusions: Perth schools are surrounded by fast-food outlets with densities significantly higher around secondary schools and schools located in lower SES areas. So what?: Policies and regulations aimed at reducing fast-food outlets near schools is an essential strategy to improve dietary intakes and reduce obesity in schoolchildren.
DOI
10.1002/hpja.682
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Trapp, G. S., Hooper, P., Billingham, W., Thornton, L., Sartori, A., Kennington, K., ... & Bivoltsis, A. (2023). Would you like fries with that? Investigating fast‐food outlet availability near schools in Perth, Western Australia. Health Promotion Journal of Australia, 34(1), 85-90. https://doi.org/10.1002/hpja.682