Qualities of the Restaurant Food Environment: A Direct Observation Pilot Study of Restaurants Located Near High Schools

Objective: This study aimed to identify and describe healthful and youth-oriented qualities of the restaurant food environment around high schools. Methods: Using direct observation data from 58 restaurants located within a half-mile (804.5 meters) of all high schools in a single district, two index measures of the restaurant food environment were created: healthfulness index and youth-oriented index. Wilcoxon signed-rank order was used to examine differences in restaurant features according to index scores. Results: Mean healthfulness score was 8.9 (range = 2-14, max = 19) and mean youth-oriented score was 5.5 (range = 0-11, max = 12). Differences were found in signed-rank order of healthfulness and youth-oriented index restaurant scores (p = 0.02). Conclusion: Results suggest that restaurants have room for improvement in offering customers a healthful environment, some restaurants are more likely to appeal to youth, and that youth-oriented restaurants were different than restaurants with high healthfulness scores. Further qualitative exploration of food environment features will help contextualize the influence of restaurants on youth eating behaviors.

Automated summary

The study aimed to identify and describe healthful and youth-oriented qualities of the restaurant food environment around high schools. Results showed that restaurants have room for improvement in offering customers a healthful environment, some are more likely to appeal to youth, and that youth-oriented restaurants were different than restaurants with high healthfulness scores.