Differential exposure to social determinants of obesity among rural and urban Grenadian adolescents

In this study, we examine rural and urban differences in exposure to social and environmental factors believed to be social determinants of obesity among Grenadian adolescents. A nationally representative sample of first year students (i.e., Form 1) (n = 689) from the twenty-three secondary schools...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International public health journal 2020-10, Vol.12 (4), p.413-419
Main Authors: Radix, Roger, Scribner, Richard, Mitchell, Jerry, Noel, Trevor, Andal, Rebecca, Andal, Naomi, Radix, Christal, Frank, Rhoda, Benjamin, Jonell, James, Jennifer, Benjamin, Romero, Leonardi, Claudia, Sothern, Melinda
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Bakery products
Beverages
Body mass index
Body weight
Confectionery
Density
Environmental factors
Exposure
Fast food
Food processing
Geographic information systems
Nutrition
Obesity
Overweight
Processed foods
Rural areas
Rural environments
Schools
Students
Teenagers
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Summary:In this study, we examine rural and urban differences in exposure to social and environmental factors believed to be social determinants of obesity among Grenadian adolescents. A nationally representative sample of first year students (i.e., Form 1) (n = 689) from the twenty-three secondary schools in Grenada were assessed as part of the Grenada School Nutrition Study (GSNS). Various measures of social and environmental determinants of obesity were obtained both at the individual and school levels using surveys or field observations, respectively. Urban (n = 13) and rural (n = 10) schools were determined by school location in relation to the two largest towns in Grenada. Exposure to unhealthy food outlets (i.e., shops selling sugar- sweetened beverages, candy, or highly processed foods) were determined by the density of either snack shops (i.e., bakeries, snack shops, markets, vending zones, tuck shops) or franchise fast food outlets (i.e., KFC, Subway) within a .75 km buffer around each school. Rural students were more likely to be Afro Caribbean (89.1% versus 79.3%) and male (55.8% versus 44.1%). Significant differences between rural and urban students were noted for car access (40.7% versus 53.3%), computer access (61.6% versus 73.5%), and snacking after school (83.6% versus 90.5%), respectively. Rural students school environment had a lower mean density of snack shops (1.53 versus 3.39 shops/square km) and mean fast food outlet density (0 versus 1.17 outlets/square km) than urban students school environment. For a number of measures, rural students in Grenada had significantly lower exposure to social and environmental factors believed to be associated with overweight and obesity.
ISSN:1947-4989
2374-1023