Residential and School Food Swamps and Overweight in Children and Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Analysis in Urban Brazil

Ingrid Werneck Linhares, Paula Martins Horta, Ariene Silva do Carmo, Luana Lara Rocha, Mariana Zogbi Jardim, Olivia Souza Honório and Larissa Loures Mendes ()
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Ingrid Werneck Linhares: Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Child and Adolescent Health, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30130-100, Brazil
Paula Martins Horta: Department of Nutrition, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30130-100, Brazil
Ariene Silva do Carmo: Department of Public Health, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30130-100, Brazil
Luana Lara Rocha: Department of Public Health, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30130-100, Brazil
Mariana Zogbi Jardim: Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Child and Adolescent Health, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30130-100, Brazil
Olivia Souza Honório: School of Nutrition, Centro Universitário Governador Ozanam Coelho, Ubá 36506-022, Brazil
Larissa Loures Mendes: Department of Nutrition, Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30130-100, Brazil

IJERPH, 2025, vol. 22, issue 8, 1-9

Abstract: The community food environment, which encompasses residential and school neighborhoods, is an important determinant of overweight in children and adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the co-occurrence of food swamps in residential and school environments and overweight status. This cross-sectional study included 2601 children and adolescents (aged 5–14 years) from 47 schools in a medium-sized municipality in Brazil. The outcome was overweight status, defined as body mass index for age exceeding the mean by at least one z-score. Food swamps in residential and school surroundings were defined as buffers of 250 m with four or more establishments selling ultra-processed foods. The prevalence of being overweight was 30.4%. Food swamps were present in 22.5% and 22% of the residential and school areas, respectively, and 16.2% of the participants were exposed to food swamps in both residential and school environments. Children and adolescents simultaneously exposed to food swamps in both residential and school areas had a higher likelihood of being overweight (odds ratio: 1.22; 95% confidence interval: 1.02–1.45). The simultaneous presence of food swamps in residential and school environments is associated with overweight in children and adolescents.

Keywords: food swamps; schools; overweight; children; adolescents (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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