Basch Corey H, Kernan William D, Menafro Anthony
Department of Public Health, William Paterson University, 366 University Hall, Wayne, NJ, 07470, USA.
J Community Health. 2016 Oct;41(5):1090-3. doi: 10.1007/s10900-016-0193-7.
Community health professionals must use multiple strategies to address the rising rates of childhood obesity in the United States. One such strategy is to address the underlying causes of childhood obesity, including lack of exercise and the consumption of calorically-dense snack foods. This study examines the presence of candy and snack food in the checkout lines of all retail chain stores in a selected community to determine the presence of these products, the ways in which these products are promoted, and the type of physical environment through which customers navigate during the checkout process. The findings confirm that candy, soft drinks, snacks, and ice cream were present in a large majority of these retail stores. Further, this pilot study found that many of these stores "corral" customers through the check-out line in such a way that it is necessary to pass these snack foods directly. Three themes for discussion emerged from the review of the data collected, including product marketing, product packaging, and product placement. Implications for childhood health are presented in the context of these marketing strategies. The results and subsequent discussion provide important insight into the ways in which the presence of candy and snack food at checkout lines might contribute to childhood obesity rates.
社区卫生专业人员必须采用多种策略来应对美国儿童肥胖率不断上升的问题。其中一种策略是解决儿童肥胖的根本原因，包括缺乏运动和食用高热量的休闲食品。本研究调查了某特定社区所有连锁零售店收银台处糖果和休闲食品的情况，以确定这些产品的存在情况、促销方式以及顾客在结账过程中所经过的物理环境类型。研究结果证实，这些零售店中绝大多数都有糖果、软饮料、零食和冰淇淋。此外，这项初步研究发现，许多这类商店通过收银通道“圈住”顾客，使得顾客必然会直接经过这些休闲食品。对所收集数据的审查得出了三个讨论主题，包括产品营销、产品包装和产品摆放。在这些营销策略的背景下阐述了对儿童健康的影响。研究结果及后续讨论为收银台处糖果和休闲食品的存在可能导致儿童肥胖率上升的方式提供了重要见解。
