Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital and Research Center, Oakland, California 94609, USA.
Am J Prev Med. 2010 Jan;38(1):70-3. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2009.09.030.
Low-income and minority children have higher rates of obesity and overweight. Greater understanding of their food access is important. Because of higher rates of walking to school in these populations, these children likely have greater exposure to the food environment immediately around their schools. Mobile food vendors are an understudied aspect of the food environment in U.S. urban areas.
This study aims to observe the after-school food environment in an urban area where mobile vending is known to occur in order to study the range of vendors encountered near schools and the items sold in the after-school period.
In the spring of 2008, the presence of mobile food vendors after school within (1/4) mile of nine public schools was assessed in a predominantly Latino district of Oakland CA. At six schools with regular presence of vendors, observations were made at mobile vendors documenting characteristics of transactions, consumers, and items.
During 37 observation-hours across 23 days, there were 1355 items sold to 1195 individuals. Fifty-six percent of the transactions involved children with no adults present. There was a wide range in foods sold, and although there were vendors selling low-nutrient, energy-dense foods, there were also vendors selling whole and processed (precut and bagged) fresh fruits and vegetables. Roughly 40% of these whole fruits and processed fruits and vegetables were consumed by children. On average, children each consumed $1.54 of foods per transaction.
Mobile food vendors in urban areas contribute to after-school snacking among children, and should be considered as a component of the school food environment.
低收入和少数族裔儿童的肥胖和超重率较高。深入了解他们的食物获取情况非常重要。由于这些人群中步行上学的比例较高，他们可能更容易接触到学校周围的食物环境。流动食品摊贩是美国城市地区食物环境中一个研究不足的方面。
本研究旨在观察一个流动摊贩活动已知的城市地区的放学后食物环境，以研究学校附近遇到的摊贩种类和放学后销售的物品。
2008 年春季，在加利福尼亚州奥克兰市一个以拉丁裔为主的地区，评估了 9 所公立学校周围 1/4 英里范围内放学后流动食品摊贩的存在情况。在 6 所经常有摊贩出现的学校，对流动摊贩进行了观察，记录交易、消费者和物品的特征。
在 23 天的 37 个观察小时内，共销售了 1355 件商品给 1195 人。56%的交易涉及没有成年人在场的儿童。出售的食品种类繁多，虽然有摊贩出售低营养、高能量的食物，但也有摊贩出售新鲜水果和蔬菜的完整和加工（预切和袋装）产品。大约 40%的这些完整水果和加工水果及蔬菜被儿童消费。平均而言，儿童每次交易消费 1.54 美元的食物。
城市地区的流动食品摊贩为儿童提供了放学后的零食选择，应被视为学校食物环境的一个组成部分。
