A Cross-Sectional Evaluation of the Food Environment at an Australian University Campus

University food environments have a strong influence on the dietary choices of students and staff. The aim of this study was to assess the food environment at a large university in Sydney, Australia. Data were collected between March and July 2022 from 27 fixed food outlets and 24 vending machines. The healthiness of the food environment was evaluated using the Healthy Food and Drink in NSW Health Facilities for Staff and Visitors Framework (‘Framework’), which assesses food environment parameters including the availability, placement, and promotion of ‘Everyday’ (healthy) and ‘Occasional’ (less healthy) products. Each parameter was evaluated overall and across each food outlet type. Across all outlets, Everyday foods and drinks made up 43.9% of all products. Only two outlets met the Framework’s product availability benchmark of ≥75% Everyday foods and drinks. A total of 43 outlets (84.3%) sold sugary drinks as part of their product range. Occasional products made up 68.4%, 53.3%, and 59.9% of all items for sale at checkout areas, countertops, and eye-level shelves, respectively. Finally, 79.7% of meal deals included Occasional products. Our findings highlight the need to improve the availability, placement, and promotion of foods and drinks sold at a major university campus in Sydney, Australia.

[1]  K. Charlton,et al.  Development of the University Food Environment Assessment (Uni-Food) Tool and Process to Benchmark the Healthiness, Equity, and Environmental Sustainability of University Food Environments , 2021, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[2]  A. Bauman,et al.  Towards healthier food choices for hospital staff and visitors: impacts of a healthy food and drink policy implemented at scale in Australia , 2021, Public Health Nutrition.

[3]  K. Stronks,et al.  Dynamics of the complex food environment underlying dietary intake in low-income groups: a systems map of associations extracted from a systematic umbrella literature review , 2021, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

[4]  L. Torheim,et al.  On-campus food environment, purchase behaviours, preferences and opinions in a Norwegian university community , 2021, Public Health Nutrition.

[5]  M. Hutchesson,et al.  University Students Purchasing Food on Campus More Frequently Consume More Energy-Dense, Nutrient-Poor Foods: A Cross-Sectional Survey , 2021, Nutrients.

[6]  S. Boylan,et al.  A scoping review of policies promoting and supporting sustainable food systems in the university setting , 2020, Nutrition Journal.

[7]  T. Doran,et al.  Effect of sugar-sweetened beverages on oral health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. , 2020, European Journal of Public Health.

[8]  A. Bauman,et al.  Implementation and acceptance of a state-wide policy to remove sugar-sweetened beverages in hospitals in New South Wales, Australia. , 2020, Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals.

[9]  Jason H. Y. Wu,et al.  A comprehensive overview and qualitative analysis of government-led nutrition policies in Australian institutions , 2020, BMC Public Health.

[10]  B. Neal,et al.  Uptake of Australia’s Health Star Rating System 2014–2019 , 2020, Nutrients.

[11]  M. Hutchesson,et al.  What is the nutritional value of food and drinks sold in vending machines at an Australian university? A food environment audit study. , 2020, Nutrition & dietetics: the journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia.

[12]  K. Diehl,et al.  ‘Oh God, I Have to Eat Something, But Where Can I Get Something Quickly?’—A Qualitative Interview Study on Barriers to Healthy Eating among University Students in Germany , 2019, Nutrients.

[13]  B. Swinburn,et al.  Exploring University Food Environment and On-Campus Food Purchasing Behaviors, Preferences, and Opinions. , 2019, Journal of nutrition education and behavior.

[14]  Ker Wei Ng,et al.  Assessing the availability, price, nutritional value and consumer views about foods and beverages from vending machines across university campuses in regional New South Wales, Australia , 2019, Health promotion journal of Australia : official journal of Australian Association of Health Promotion Professionals.

[15]  T. Gill,et al.  Burden and trend of diet-related non-communicable diseases in Australia and comparison with 34 OECD countries, 1990–2015: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015 , 2019, European Journal of Nutrition.

[16]  V. Flood,et al.  Healthiness of Food and Beverages for Sale at Two Public Hospitals in New South Wales, Australia , 2018, Nutrients.

[17]  B. Neal,et al.  Modelled Cost-Effectiveness of a Package Size Cap and a Kilojoule Reduction Intervention to Reduce Energy Intake from Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in Australia , 2017, Nutrients.

[18]  H. O'Connor,et al.  University students' on-campus food purchasing behaviors, preferences, and opinions on food availability. , 2017, Nutrition.

[19]  M. Allman-Farinelli,et al.  Are products sold in university vending machines nutritionally poor? A food environment audit , 2017, Nutrition & dietetics: the journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia.

[20]  M. Allman-Farinelli,et al.  The barriers and enablers of healthy eating among young adults: a missing piece of the obesity puzzle: A scoping review , 2017, Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity.

[21]  A. Peeters,et al.  The effect on drink sales of removal of unhealthy drinks from display in a self-service café , 2016, Public Health Nutrition.

[22]  Karen Glanz,et al.  Measures of Retail Food Store Environments and Sales: Review and Implications for Healthy Eating Initiatives. , 2016, Journal of nutrition education and behavior.

[23]  R. Hu,et al.  Association between sugar-sweetened beverages and type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis , 2014, Journal of diabetes investigation.

[24]  Ka Hung Ng,et al.  FoodSwitch: A Mobile Phone App to Enable Consumers to Make Healthier Food Choices and Crowdsourcing of National Food Composition Data , 2014, JMIR mHealth and uHealth.

[25]  Ilse de Bourdeaudhuij,et al.  Determinants of eating behaviour in university students: a qualitative study using focus group discussions , 2014, BMC Public Health.

[26]  E. Feskens,et al.  Consumption of sweet beverages and type 2 diabetes incidence in European adults: results from EPIC-InterAct , 2013, Diabetologia.

[27]  T. Horacek,et al.  Assessment of the dining environment on and near the campuses of fifteen post-secondary institutions , 2012, Public Health Nutrition.

[28]  D. Cohen,et al.  Contextual influences on eating behaviours: heuristic processing and dietary choices , 2012, Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity.

[29]  B. Kelly,et al.  Measuring local food environments: an overview of available methods and measures. , 2011, Health & place.

[30]  M. Shao,et al.  Dental erosion and severe tooth decay related to soft drinks: a case report and literature review , 2009, Journal of Zhejiang University SCIENCE B.

[31]  Corinna Hawkes,et al.  Dietary Implications of Supermarket Development: A Global Perspective , 2008 .

[32]  F. Hu,et al.  Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain: a systematic review. , 2006, The American journal of clinical nutrition.

[33]  L. Ovesen,et al.  Size makes a difference , 2003, Public Health Nutrition.

[34]  B. Popkin,et al.  Patterns and trends in food portion sizes, 1977-1998. , 2003, JAMA.