Journal article
The food environment in Latin America: a systematic review with a focus on environments relevant to obesity and related chronic diseases
Public health nutrition, v 22(18), pp 3447-3464
Dec 2019
PMID: 31666140
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Food environments may be contributing to the rapid increase in obesity occurring in most Latin American (LA) countries. The present study reviews literature from LA that (i) describes the food environment and policies targeting the food environment (FEP); and (ii) analytic studies that investigate associations between the FEP and dietary behaviours, overweight/obesity and obesity related chronic diseases. We focus on six dimensions of the FEP: food retail, provision, labelling, marketing, price and composition.
Systematic literature review. Three databases (Web of Science, SciELO, LILACS) were searched, from 1 January 1999 up to July 2017. Two authors independently selected the studies. A narrative synthesis was used to summarize, integrate and interpret findings.
Studies conducted in LA countries.
The search yielded 2695 articles of which eighty-four met inclusion criteria.
Most studies were descriptive and came from Brazil (61 %), followed by Mexico (18 %) and Guatemala (6 %). Studies were focused primarily on retail/provision (n 27), marketing (n 16) and labelling (n 15). Consistent associations between availability of fruit and vegetable markets and higher consumption of fruits and vegetables were found in cross-sectional studies. Health claims in food packaging were prevalent and mostly misleading. There was widespread use of marketing strategies for unhealthy foods aimed at children. Food prices were lower for processed relative to fresh foods. Some studies documented high sodium in industrially processed foods.
Gaps in knowledge remain regarding policy evaluations, longitudinal food retail studies, impacts of food price on diet and effects of digital marketing on diet/health.
Metrics
Details
- Title
- The food environment in Latin America: a systematic review with a focus on environments relevant to obesity and related chronic diseases
- Creators
- Carolina Pérez-Ferrer - National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT), Mexico City, MexicoAmy H Auchincloss - Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, 3215 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USAMariana Carvalho de Menezes - Fiocruz-RJ, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilMaria F Kroker-Lobos - Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP), Guatemala City, GuatemalaLeticia de Oliveira Cardoso - Fiocruz-RJ, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilTonatiuh Barrientos-Gutierrez - National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico
- Publication Details
- Public health nutrition, v 22(18), pp 3447-3464
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press; England
- Grant note
- 205177/Z/16/Z / Wellcome Trust
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000501332300016
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85076065800
- Other Identifier
- 991014877793204721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Nutrition & Dietetics
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health