Proximity of Fast-Food Restaurants to Schools and Adolescent Obesity
Open accessAbstract
Objectives. We examined the relationship between fast-food restaurants near schools and obesity among middle and high school students in California. Methods. We used geocoded data (obtained from the 2002–2005 California Healthy Kids Survey) on over 500 000 youths and multivariate regression models to estimate associations between adolescent obesity and proximity of fast-food restaurants to schools. Results. We found that students with fast-food restaurants near (within one half mile of) their schools (1) consumed fewer servings of fruits and vegetables, (2) consumed more servings of soda, and (3) were more likely to be overweight (odds ratio [OR] = 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02, 1.10) or obese (OR = 1.07; 95% CI = 1.02, 1.12) than were youths whose schools were not near fast-food restaurants, after we controlled for student- and school-level characteristics. The result was unique to eating at fast-food restaurants (compared with other nearby establishments) and was not observed for another risky behavior (smoking). Conclusions. Exposure to poor-quality food environments has important effects on adolescent eating patterns and overweight. Policy interventions limiting the proximity of fast-food restaurants to schools could help reduce adolescent obesity.
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A small number of cross-sectional studies in children found presence of a fast-food restaurant near school (≤0.8 km) was associated with higher BMI and prevalence of overweight/obesity.
“These studies found that the presence of a fast-food restaurant near school (≤0.8 km) was associated with a higher BMI and prevalence of overweight/obesity.”
From Population Approaches to Improve Diet, Physical Activity, and Smoking Habits: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2012) · cites this paper as [312]
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- Authors
- Davis, B., & Carpenter, C.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Irvine (US)
- Venue
- American Journal of Public Health
- Publisher
- American Public Health Association
- Published
- 2009-03
- Volume
- 99
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 505-510
- ISSN
- 0090-0036 (ISSN-L)
- 1541-0048
- PMC
- PMC2661452
- OpenAlex
- W2166422641
- Cited by
- 484
- References
- 11
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 33 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 26 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 33 · 2014: 39 · 2013: 37 · 2012: 48
- FWCI
- 24.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- American Journal of Public Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
- Social Sciences › Transportation › Urban Transport and Accessibility
- Keywords
- fast food restaurants, school proximity, adolescent obesity, overweight, school food environment, fruit and vegetable intake, soft drink consumption, food environment policy, California Healthy Kids Survey
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, California, Child, Feeding Behavior, Female, Humans, Male, Nutritional Status, Obesity, Regression Analysis, Risk Factors, Schools, Students, Texas, Models, Statistical, Body Mass Index, Multivariate Analysis, Confidence Intervals, Odds Ratio, Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
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