The relationship of the local food environment with obesity: A systematic review of methods, study quality, and results.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To examine the relationship between local food environments and obesity and assess the quality of studies reviewed.

Methods

Systematic keyword searches identified studies from US and Canada that assessed the relationship of obesity to local food environments. We applied a quality metric based on design, exposure and outcome measurement, and analysis.

Results

We identified 71 studies representing 65 cohorts. Overall, study quality was low; 60 studies were cross-sectional. Associations between food outlet availability and obesity were predominantly null. Among non-null associations, we saw a trend toward inverse associations between supermarket availability and obesity (22 negative, 4 positive, 67 null) and direct associations between fast food and obesity (29

SUBMITTER: Cobb LK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4482774 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature