Exploring the Retail Food Environment Surrounding Two Secondary Schools with Predominantly Pacific Populations in Tonga and New Zealand to Enable the Development of Mapping Methods Appropriate for Testing in a Classroom

Alvina F. Pauuvale, Mark H. Vickers, Soana Pamaka, Dorothy Apelu, ‘Anaseini Fehoko, Malakai ‘Ofanoa and Jacquie L. Bay ()
Additional contact information
Alvina F. Pauuvale: Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Mark H. Vickers: Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Soana Pamaka: Tamaki College, Auckland 1072, New Zealand
Dorothy Apelu: Tamaki College, Auckland 1072, New Zealand
‘Anaseini Fehoko: Tonga High School, Nuku’alofa P.O. Box 53, Tonga
Malakai ‘Ofanoa: School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
Jacquie L. Bay: Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland 1142, New Zealand

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 23, 1-14

Abstract: Rates of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are disproportionately high among people of Pacific ethnicity. Nutrition-related environmental exposures including food access and quality contribute to the matrix of factors impacting risk. Preventative interventions in adolescence and the opportunity to integrate health promotion into school-based learning are often overlooked. This study tested the potential of a low-cost method to map the retail food environment in a 1 km radius of two secondary schools in low socioeconomic communities with predominantly Pacific populations, in Tonga and New Zealand (NZ). Mapping utilized Google Earth, Google Maps, government maps, and observations. A rubric was developed to categorize food quality. Outlets within a 1 km radius of each school, (Tonga, n = 150; NZ, n = 52) stocked predominantly unhealthy foods. The NZ data compared favorably to previous studies, indicating the method was valid. The Tongan data is novel and indicates that alternative strategies can be used when access to GIS-type tools is limited. The method produced visual data that has the potential to be analyzed using strategies appropriate for secondary schools. The method should now be tested in classrooms to assess its potential to support school-age students to engage in mapping and critiquing the retail food environment.

Keywords: noncommunicable diseases 1; retail food environment 2; Pacific 3; New Zealand 4; Tonga 5; school-based 6; Google tools 7; spatial mapping 8 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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