Anne Faricy Gerlach

Food Environment in Secondary Schools: À La Carte, Vending Machines, and Food Policies and Practices

OBJECTIVES This study described the food environment in 20 Minnesota secondary schools. METHODS Data were collected on school food policies and the availability and nutritional content of foods in school à la carte (ALC) areas and vending machines (VMs). RESULTS Approximately 36% and 35% of foods in ALC areas and in VMs, respectively, met the lower-fat criterion (< or = 5.5 fat grams/serving). The chips/crackers category constituted the largest share of ALC foods (11.5%). The median number of VMs per school was 12 (4 soft drink, 2 snack, 5 other). Few school food policies were reported. CONCLUSIONS The availability of healthful foods and beverages in schools as well as school food policies that foster healthful food choices among students needs greater attention.

Worksite Environment Intervention to Prevent Obesity Among Metropolitan Transit Workers

OBJECTIVE The results of an 18-month worksite intervention to prevent obesity among metropolitan transit workers are reported. METHODS Four garages in a major metropolitan area were randomized to intervention or control groups. Data were collected during the fall of 2005 prior to the start of the intervention and during the fall of 2007, after the intervention ended. Intervention program components at the garage included enhancement of the physical activity facilities, increased availability of and lower prices on healthy vending machine choices, and group behavioral programs. Mixed model estimates from cross-sectional and cohort samples were pooled with weights inverse to the variance of their respective estimates of the intervention effects. RESULTS Measurement participation rates were 78% at baseline and 74% at follow-up. The intervention effect on garage mean BMI change was not significant (-0.14 kg/m(2)). Energy intake decreased significantly, and fruit and vegetable intake increased significantly in intervention garages compared to control garages. Physical activity change was not significant. CONCLUSION Worksite environmental interventions for nutrition and physical activity behavior change may have limited impact on BMI among transit workers who spend most of their workday outside the worksite.

Pricing and availability intervention in vending machines at four bus garages

Objective: To evaluate the effects of lowering prices and increasing availability on sales of healthy foods and beverages from 33 vending machines in 4 bus garages as part of a multicomponent worksite obesity prevention intervention. Methods: Availability of healthy items was increased to 50% and prices were lowered at least 10% in the vending machines in two metropolitan bus garages for an 18-month period. Two control garages offered vending choices at usual availability and prices. Sales data were collected monthly from each of the vending machines at the four garages. Results: Increases in availability to 50% and price reductions of an average of 31% resulted in 10% to 42% higher sales of the healthy items. Employees were mostly price responsive for snack purchases. Conclusions: Greater availability and lower prices on targeted food and beverage items from vending machines was associated with greater purchases of these items over an 18-month period. Efforts to promote healthful food purchases in worksite settings should incorporate these two strategies.

Household Obesity Prevention: Take Action—a Group-Randomized Trial

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate an intervention to prevent weight gain among households (HHs) in the community. Ninety HHs were randomized to intervention or control group for 1 year. Intervention consisted of six face‐to‐face group sessions, placement of a television (TV) locking device on all home TVs, and home‐based intervention activities. Measures were collected in person at baseline and 1 year. Weight, height, eating behaviors, physical activity (PA), and TV viewing were measured among HH members ages ≥12 years. Follow‐up rate at 1 year was 96%. No significant intervention effects were observed for change in HH BMI‐z score. Intervention HHs significantly reduced TV viewing, snacks/sweets intake, and dollars per person spent eating out, and increased (adults only) PA and self‐weighing frequency compared with control HHs. A 1 year obesity prevention intervention targeting entire HHs was effective in reducing TV viewing, snack/sweets intake and eating out purchases. Innovative methods are needed to strengthen the home food environment intervention component. Longer intervention durations also need to be evaluated.

Capturing the Spectrum of Household Food and Beverage Purchasing Behavior: A Review

The household setting may be the most important level at which to understand the food choices of individuals and how healthful food choices can be promoted. However, there are few available measures of the food purchase behaviors of households and little consensus on the best way to measure it. This review explores the currently available measures of household food purchasing behavior. Three main measures are described, evaluated, and compared: home food inventories, food and beverage purchase records and receipts, and Universal Product Code bar code scanning. The development of coding, aggregation, and analytical methods for these measures of household food purchasing behavior is described. Currently, annotated receipts and records are the most comprehensive, detailed measure of household food purchasing behavior, and are feasible for population-based samples. Universal Product Code scanning is not recommended due to its cost and complexity. Research directions to improve household food purchasing behavior measures are discussed.

Worksite environment physical activity and healthy food choices: measurement of the worksite food and physical activity environment at four metropolitan bus garages.

BackgroundThe present research describes a measure of the worksite environment for food, physical activity and weight management. The worksite environment measure (WEM instrument) was developed for the Route H Study, a worksite environmental intervention for weight gain prevention in four metro transit bus garages in Minneapolis-St. Paul.MethodsTwo trained raters visited each of the four bus garages and independently completed the WEM. Food, physical activity and weight management-related items were observed and recorded on a structured form. Inter-rater reliability was computed at the item level using a simple percentage agreement.ResultsThe WEM showed high inter-rater reliability for the number and presence of food-related items. All garages had vending machines, microwaves and refrigerators. Assessment of the physical activity environment yielded similar reliability for the number and presence/absence of fitness items. Each garage had a fitness room (average of 4.3 items of fitness equipment). All garages had at least one stationary bike and treadmill. Three garages had at least one weighing scale available. There were no designated walking areas inside or outside. There were on average < 1 food stores or restaurants within sight of each garage. Few vending machine food and beverage items met criteria for healthful choices (15% of the vending machine foods; 26% of the vending machine beverages). The garage environment was perceived to be not supportive of healthy food choices, physical activity and weight management; 52% reported that it was hard to get fruits and vegetables in the garages, and 62% agreed that it was hard to be physically active in the garages.ConclusionThe WEM is a reliable measure of the worksite nutrition, physical activity, and weight management environment that can be used to assess changes in the work environment.

Portion size effects on weight gain in a free living setting

Examine the effect of weekday exposure over 6 months to different lunch sizes on energy intake and body weight in a free‐living sample of working adults.

Capturing the Spectrum of Household Food and Beverage Purchasing Behavior

The household setting may be the most important level at which to understand the food choices of individuals and how healthful food choices can be promoted. However, there are few available measures of the food purchase behaviors of households and little consensus on the best way to measure it. This review explores the currently available measures of household food purchasing behavior. Three main measures are described, evaluated, and compared: home food inventories, food and beverage purchase records and receipts, and Universal Product Code bar code scanning. The development of coding, aggregation, and analytical methods for these measures of household food purchasing behavior is described. Currently, annotated receipts and records are the most comprehensive, detailed measure of household food purchasing behavior, and are feasible for population-based samples. Universal Product Code scanning is not recommended due to its cost and complexity. Research directions to improve household food purchasing behavior measures are discussed.

ResearchReviewCapturing the Spectrum of Household Food and Beverage Purchasing Behavior: A Review

The household setting may be the most important level at which to understand the food choices of individuals and how healthful food choices can be promoted. However, there are few available measures of the food purchase behaviors of households and little consensus on the best way to measure it. This review explores the currently available measures of household food purchasing behavior. Three main measures are described, evaluated, and compared: home food inventories, food and beverage purchase records and receipts, and Universal Product Code bar code scanning. The development of coding, aggregation, and analytical methods for these measures of household food purchasing behavior is described. Currently, annotated receipts and records are the most comprehensive, detailed measure of household food purchasing behavior, and are feasible for population-based samples. Universal Product Code scanning is not recommended due to its cost and complexity. Research directions to improve household food purchasing behavior measures are discussed.