Journal article
Application of a geospatial query tool to characterise the community food environment and examine associations with dietary quality: evidence from three Chilean cities from the SALURBAL project
BMC public health, v 25(1), 2311
03 Jul 2025
PMID: 40610943
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Few studies have characterised community food environments and their influence on dietary behaviours in Latin America. In particular, community food environment data do not exist for Chilean contexts. This study aims to characterise the community food environment across neighbourhoods in three major Chilean cities and explore associations between these food environments and fruit and vegetable consumption among adult residents.
We used a geospatial query tool to identify, georeference, and classify food establishments (FE, n = 46,950) across 3 large Chilean cities (Santiago, Valparaíso, Concepción). Neighbourhood characteristics were derived from the 2017 Census (n = 2,442 neighbourhoods) while individual-level data came from the 2017 National Health Survey (Encuesta Nacional de Salud, n = 1,275 adults). Lower dietary quality was proxied by non-daily consumption of fruits or vegetables (ND-FV, prevalence 17.3%). We used random intercept logistic regression models adjusting for survey participants age, gender, educational attainment, neighbourhood population density and social environment.
The median density of FE was 41.36 per km
, increasing with neighbourhood population density and more favourable social environments. Ready-for-consumption FE and small food retail were the most prevalent types (68% and 11%, respectively). The adjusted odds of ND-FV consumption was approximately 20% higher with increases in the z-score of those FE types. No associations were found between other types of FE and ND-FV consumption.
Food establishments were unequally distributed across urban Chilean neighbourhoods. Overall, unhealthy outlets are predominant. Higher densities of small and ready-to-consume FE were associated with lower fruit and vegetable consumption. These findings underscore the need for targeted public policies aimed at promoting healthier food environments, reducing social inequalities in food access within Chilean cities, and improving dietary quality.
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Details
- Title
- Application of a geospatial query tool to characterise the community food environment and examine associations with dietary quality: evidence from three Chilean cities from the SALURBAL project
- Creators
- Laís Vargas Botelho - Fundação Oswaldo CruzDayan Carvalho Ramos Salles de Oliveira - Universidad Peruana Cayetano HerediaAmy Auchincloss - Drexel UniversityIrene Carolina Sousa Justiniano - Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisMaria de Fátima de Pina - Fundação Oswaldo CruzVanderlei Pascoal de Matos - Fundação Oswaldo CruzDaniel Albert Skaba - Fundação Oswaldo CruzLorena Saavedra-Garcia - Universidad Peruana Cayetano HerediaTamara Doberti Herrera - University of ChileLetícia de Oliveira Cardoso - Fundação Oswaldo CruzMariana Carvalho de Menezes - Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais
- Publication Details
- BMC public health, v 25(1), 2311
- Publisher
- BMC
- Number of pages
- 10
- Grant note
- 401787/2015-0 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico 205177/Z/16/Z / Wellcome Trust
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001522901400039
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105010003212
- Other Identifier
- 991022061628604721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health