Accessibility of fast food outlets is associated with fast food intake. A study in the Capital Region of Denmark

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

Literature suggests that people living in areas with a wealth of unhealthy fast food options may show higher levels of fast food intake. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were applied to examine the association between GIS-located fast food outlets (FFOs) and self-reported fast food intake among adults (+ 16 years) in the Capital Region of Denmark (N = 48,305). Accessibility of FFOs was measured both as proximity (distance to nearest FFO) and density (number of FFOs within a 1km network buffer around home). Odds of fast food intake ≥ 1/week increased significantly with increasing FFO density and decreased significantly with increasing distance to the nearest FFO for distances ≤ 4km. For long distances (>4km), odds increased with increasing distance, although this applied only for car owners. Results suggest that Danish health promotion strategies need to consider the contribution of the built environment to unhealthy eating.

Original languageEnglish
JournalHealth & Place
Volume48
Pages (from-to)102-110
Number of pages9
ISSN1353-8292
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2017
Externally publishedYes

    Research areas

  • Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cross-Sectional Studies, Denmark, Fast Foods, Feeding Behavior, Female, Geographic Information Systems, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Residence Characteristics/statistics & numerical data, Restaurants, Socioeconomic Factors, Surveys and Questionnaires

ID: 259568491