Voluntary Kids’ Meal Beverage Standards: Are They Sufficient to Ensure Healthier Restaurant Practices and Consumer Choices?
Phoebe Harpainter,
Sridharshi C. Hewawitharana,
Danielle L. Lee,
Anna C. Martin,
Wendi Gosliner,
Lorrene D. Ritchie and
Gail Woodward-Lopez
Additional contact information
Phoebe Harpainter: Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Sridharshi C. Hewawitharana: Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Danielle L. Lee: Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Anna C. Martin: Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Wendi Gosliner: Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Lorrene D. Ritchie: Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
Gail Woodward-Lopez: Nutrition Policy Institute, University of California, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Berkeley, CA 94704, USA
IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-12
Abstract:
Many quick-service restaurants (QSRs) instituted voluntary kids’ meal default beverage standards (standards) between 2013 to 2017. Little is known about impacts of standards on QSR drive-through practices and on customer choices. This study assessed differences in restaurant practices including kids’ meal beverages shown on menu boards, offered by cashiers, and selected by customers in QSRs with and without voluntary standards. Observations ( n = 111) and customer surveys ( n = 84) were conducted in 2018 at QSRs with standards ( n = 70) and without ( n = 41) in low-income California, U.S. neighborhoods. Kids’ meal beverages on menu boards ( n = 149) and offered by cashiers ( n = 185) at QSRs with and without standards were analyzed using multilevel logistic regression. Significantly more menu boards at QSRs with standards ( n = 103) vs. without ( n = 46) featured only milk, water or unsweetened juice (65.1% vs. 4.4%; p < 0.001). Most cashiers at QSRs with standards and QSRs without (53.1%, 62.5%) asked what drink the data collector wanted rather than first offering default beverages. A small sample of customer interviews found that customers at QSRs with standards most commonly ordered juice (37.0%); at QSRs without standards, soda (45.5%). Although menu boards showed healthier kids’ meal beverages at QSRs with standards than without, cashier behavior was inconsistent. Results suggest additional measures (legislation, implementation support, enforcement) may be needed to ensure optimal implementation.
Keywords: healthy default; beverage; policy implementation; childhood obesity prevention; quick-service restaurant; SNAP-Ed (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:
Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/15/5275/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/15/5275/ (text/html)
Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.
Export reference: BibTeX
RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan)
HTML/Text
Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:15:p:5275-:d:387929
Access Statistics for this article
IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu
More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().