Assessing the foodscape of a Small Island Developing State: The Barbados Nutrition Environment Survey (Barbados-NEMS) for Stores
Date
2022-01-28, 2022-01-28
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus
The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus
The University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus
Abstract
The food environment, also known as the foodscape, has many elements that interact which eventually influence our food choices and consumption. One of these elements is known as the consumer food environment. The consumer food environment is the area of the
foodscape in which the individual/consumer interacts with the food environment, with the food retailers. Features of the consumer food
environment include availability of food items, accessibility of the food stores and pricing of the food items as well as facilitators and barriers to healthy eating. The aims of this study are to assess the reliability of the Barbados Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey for Stores and to evaluate the consumer food environment of Barbados. A total of 40% of food stores (n=50) across all 11 parishes of Barbados
were assessed using the Barbados Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey between September – November 2021. The food stores were categorized into three main types; Wholesale retailers, Supermarket/Grocery Stores and Mini-Mart/Convenience Stores. The retail food outlets were identified, enumerated, classified and mapped using
multiple data sources, including the telephone business directory and a list
of all registered food outlets obtained from the Corporate Affairs and Intellectual Property Office (CAIPO) of Barbados. Each store was independently audited by pairs of trained raters. Each rater surveyed 19
food categories and assesses the availability, quality and price of these
food items and their healthier alternative. To determine inter-rater reliability, Percent agreement and Kappa statistics were used for binary and categorial variables and intra-class correlations coefficients (ICC) were used for continuous variables. Food
environment scores were computed for each store using the dimensions of Variety, Availability, Price and Quality. Essentially, two points were awarded for availability and increased variety of healthier alternatives,
and additional 2 points will be awarded when a lower price is offered for a healthier alternative and a negative point will be given when the healthier alternative is higher in price. With regards to quality, up to 3 points were awarded for stores having the majority of their fresh/frozen
produce having acceptable quality. The total score ranges from -15 to 115.
Description
The 9th Annual Faculty of Medical Sciences
Graduate Symposium
Table of Contents
Keywords
food environment, nutrition, food outlet, measurement, Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey