Exploring the relationship between the food environment and preferences among schoolchildren in a low socioeconomic community in Sri Lanka: A GIS-based assessment.

ABSTRACT: The food environment in school neighborhoods plays a crucial role in manipulating the food choices of schoolchildren. This study investigated the relationship between the food environment in neighborhoods and the dietary practices of government school students in a low socioeconomic setting in Sri Lanka. This cross-sectional study surveyed the neighborhood food environment of selected schools (n = 30) in the Monaragala District, Sri Lanka, using geographical information system (GIS) data and collected dietary information from a representative sample of schoolchildren (n = 603). Chi-square and Spearman correlation tests were performed using SPSS version 23.0 to estimate the associations between the food environment and BMI, while ArcGIS 10.4.1 was used to analyze the GIS data. The majority

SUBMITTER: Senevirathne CP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11321566 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature