Centre for Diet and Activity Research, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Institute for Social Marketing, Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2018 Jun 11;15(1):52. doi: 10.1186/s12966-018-0684-2.
Food choices are often determined by stimuli from our immediate surroundings, including strategic placement in shops to encourage impulse purchases. One example of this is food in shop checkout areas. Recently a number of UK supermarkets have voluntarily committed to providing healthier checkout foods. The aim of this study was to document the nature of current UK supermarket checkout food policies; determine whether there are any differences in the healthfulness and type of food displayed at checkouts in supermarkets according to the presence or nature of policies; and determine whether supermarkets are adhering to their checkout food policies.
Survey of checkout food policies. Cross-sectional observations in 69 supermarkets (covering 14 store formats) in the East of England in Feb-May 2017 of the number and type of checkout foods on each 'checkout journey' (each possible route through the checkout area). Checkout foods were categorised as less healthy or healthier, using the UK Food Standard's Agency's Nutrient Profile Model, and into food groups. Checkout food policies were categorised as clear and consistent, vague or inconsistent, or absent.
Checkout food policies differed between store formats in some supermarket groups. Across the 14 store formats included, two had no checkout food policy, six had 'clear and consistent' policies, and six 'vague or inconsistent' policies. In supermarkets with clear and consistent policies there were a median of 13 products per checkout journey, of which 35% were less healthy. Comparable figures for supermarkets with vague or inconsistent, and absent policies were 15 (57%) and 39 (90%) respectively (ps for trend < 0.001). Whilst most supermarkets with a clear and consistent checkout food policy were fully adherent to their policy, those with vague or inconsistent policies were not.
Most UK supermarkets have checkout food policies, but not all are clear and consistent. Supermarkets with clear and consistent policies display fewer checkout foods and a lower proportion of these are less healthy than in other supermarkets. Supermarkets with clear and consistent policies adhere well to these. More stores should be encouraged to develop a clear and consistent checkout food policy. This may require non-voluntary intervention.
食物选择通常取决于我们周围环境的刺激因素，包括在商店中的策略性位置，以鼓励冲动购买。一个例子是商店结账区的食物。最近，英国的许多超市都自愿承诺提供更健康的结账食品。本研究的目的是记录英国超市当前结账食品政策的性质；根据政策的存在或性质，确定超市结账区食品的健康程度和类型是否存在差异；并确定超市是否遵守其结账食品政策。
结账食品政策调查。2017 年 2 月至 5 月，在英格兰东部的 69 家超市（涵盖 14 种商店格式）中进行了结账食品的横断面观察，记录了每次“结账行程”（通过结账区的每条可能路线）上结账食品的数量和类型。使用英国食品标准局的营养成分模型，将结账食品分为不健康或健康食品，并分为食品组。结账食品政策分为明确且一致、模糊或不一致以及不存在三种类型。
在某些超市群体中，不同的商店格式结账食品政策有所不同。在包括的 14 种商店格式中，有两家没有结账食品政策，六家有“明确且一致”的政策，六家有“模糊或不一致”的政策。在有明确且一致政策的超市中，每次结账行程平均有 13 种产品，其中 35%为不健康食品。而在政策模糊或不一致以及不存在政策的超市中，这一数字分别为 15 种（57%）和 39 种（90%）（趋势 P 值<0.001）。虽然大多数有明确且一致结账食品政策的超市都完全遵守其政策，但那些政策模糊或不一致的超市则没有。
大多数英国超市都有结账食品政策，但并非所有政策都明确且一致。有明确且一致政策的超市展示的结账食品较少，其中不健康食品的比例也低于其他超市。有明确且一致政策的超市很好地遵守了这些政策。应该鼓励更多的商店制定明确且一致的结账食品政策。这可能需要非自愿干预。
