Cross-country comparison of school neighborhood food environments in Houston, Texas and Guadalajara, Mexico

Authors: SOLTERO, ERICA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC); LEDOUX, TRACEY - University Of Houston; O'CONNOR, DANIEL - University Of Houston; MOORE, QUIANTA - Rice University; BERGER-CARDOSO, JODI - University Of Houston; LEE, REBECCA - Arizona State University

Submitted to: Journal of Primary Prevention
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/12/2019
Publication Date: 12/1/2019
Citation: Soltero, E.G., Ledoux, T.A., O'Connor, D.P., Moore, Q.L., Berger-Cardoso, J., Lee, R.E. 2019. Cross-country comparison of school neighborhood food environments in Houston, Texas and Guadalajara, Mexico. Journal of Primary Prevention. 40(6):591-606. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-019-00568-x.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10935-019-00568-x

Interpretive Summary: The U.S. and Mexico lead the world in childhood obesity, which is driven in part by unhealthy dietary habits. Food resources that offer unhealthy foods like fast food restaurants, convenience stores, and some table-service restaurants, can promote unhealthy dietary habits. The presence of unhealthy food resources near school campuses may encourage youth and families to eat from these resources before and after school, yet few studies have examined the food environment in school neighborhoods. This study investigated and compared the quantity and types of food resources found in school neighborhoods in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and Houston, Texas. By comparing school neighborhood food environments in large metropolitan cities in Mexico and the U.S., this study aimed to gain insights regarding environmental factors that may influence diet and obesity in these two countries. School neighborhoods in Guadalajara had more food resources than those in Houston; however, convenience stores and table service restaurants were prevalent in school neighborhoods in both cities. Unhealthy food resources were more prevalent in lower socioeconomic school neighborhoods in Guadalajara and higher socioeconomic school neighborhoods in Houston. More studies are needed to understand the influence that food resources in school neighborhoods have on dietary habits in school children. Understanding how these food resources influence diet in children can inform policymakers, city planners, and school officials who seek to implement policies to create healthier food environments in both the U.S. and Mexico.

Technical Abstract: Studies in the U.S. and Mexico have observed the clustering of food resources around schools, which may promote the use of these resources. Our study characterized and compared school neighborhood food environments in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and Houston, Texas, and examined socioeconomic disparities in food resource availability across school neighborhoods. We used the Goods and Services Inventory to document the frequency and type of resources within each school neighborhood. School neighborhoods in Guadalajara had significantly more food resources than those in Houston. We found that convenience stores and table service restaurants were the most prevalent food resources in school neighborhoods in both cities. Guadalajara school neighborhoods had a higher prevalence of supermarkets and grocery stores than Houston. Low-income school neighborhoods in Guadalajara with poorly educated residents had significantly more food carts than high-income neighborhoods with more educated residents. In Houston, we found significantly more fast food restaurants and convenience stores in school neighborhoods with more educated residents than school neighborhoods with less educated residents. The influence of food resources within school neighborhoods on the dietary habits of schoolchildren should be further explored in both the U.S. and Mexico. The characterization of school neighborhood food environments can inform policymakers, city planners, and school officials who seek to implement policies to create healthier food environments.