A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of the Food Environment at an Australian University Campus

University food environments have a strong influence on the dietary choices of students and staff. The aim of this study was to assess the food environment at a large university in Sydney, Australia. Data were collected between March and July 2022 from 27 fixed food outlets and 24 vending machines....

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nutrients 2023-03, Vol.15 (7), p.1623
Main Authors: Coyle, Daisy H, Sanavio, Laura, Barrett, Eden, Huang, Liping, Law, Kristy K, Nanayakkara, Pabasha, Hodgson, Jonathan M, O'Connell, Merita, Meggitt, Belinda, Tsai, Carrie, Pettigrew, Simone, Wu, Jason H Y
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Australia
Availability
Beverages
College campuses
College students
Colleges & universities
Cross-Sectional Studies
Evaluation
Food
Food and nutrition
Food Dispensers, Automatic
food environment
Food supply
Health aspects
Health care facilities
Health facilities
health star rating
Humans
Ingredients
Nutrition
Nutritive Value
School lunches
School lunchrooms, cafeterias, etc
Students
sugar-sweetened beverages
Universities
Universities and colleges
university
Vending machines
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:University food environments have a strong influence on the dietary choices of students and staff. The aim of this study was to assess the food environment at a large university in Sydney, Australia. Data were collected between March and July 2022 from 27 fixed food outlets and 24 vending machines. The healthiness of the food environment was evaluated using the ('Framework'), which assesses food environment parameters including the availability, placement, and promotion of 'Everyday' (healthy) and 'Occasional' (less healthy) products. Each parameter was evaluated overall and across each food outlet type. Across all outlets, Everyday foods and drinks made up 43.9% of all products. Only two outlets met the Framework's product availability benchmark of ≥75% Everyday foods and drinks. A total of 43 outlets (84.3%) sold sugary drinks as part of their product range. Occasional products made up 68.4%, 53.3%, and 59.9% of all items for sale at checkout areas, countertops, and eye-level shelves, respectively. Finally, 79.7% of meal deals included Occasional products. Our findings highlight the need to improve the availability, placement, and promotion of foods and drinks sold at a major university campus in Sydney, Australia.
ISSN:2072-6643
2072-6643
DOI:10.3390/nu15071623