How the built environment affects food consumption and physical activity in the preschool children (Bachelor thesis)

Zorgno, Alexandros


It is well known that nutrition has numerous health benefits during childhood. Such health benefits are strongly associated with the child’s physical growth and emotional development (Drewnowski et al., 2014)(Cobb et al., 2015). Nutrition habits such as increased total energy and fat intake may result in chronic diseases like obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure levels (Smithers et al.,2011). There is evidence to suggest that unhealthy dietary patterns during childhood may influence negatively on the diet shaping behaviour all the way to adulthood and that children with obesity may become adults with obesity, something that places them at greater risk for developing chronic diseases (Manios et al., 2009; Smithers et al., 2011; Cannuscio et al., 2013). Physical activity also appears to have an important role in children’s physical health since children with lower levels of physical activity were found to be more likely to have high cholesterol and high blood pressure levels (Janssen and Leblanc, 2015). There also appears to be a relationship between low physical activity levels and higher BMI scores (Janssen and Leblanc, 2015). Parents definitely have a very important role on the eating habits of their children since they are the ones deciding the content of their diet. Moreover, they contribute significantly to shaping their dietary behaviour (Schwartz et al., 2011). However, other factors may influence the dietary habits of both children and parents such as the local food environment. Researchers have increasingly studied neighbourhood physical environments as they influence food related behaviours and related outcomes for consumers health (Cannuscio et al., 2013). People tend to make food choices based on the food outlets that are available in their immediate neighbourhood (Walker, Keane and Burke, 2010). Structural inequities in the neighbourhood food environment have been shown to influence diet-related public health outcome (Lisabeth et al., 2010).The diversity and proximity of retail food outlets and other factors such as products, promotions, prices may influence health relevant food shopping behaviours and eating patterns (Cannuscio et al., 2013).
Institution and School/Department of submitter: Σχολή Τεχνολογικών Γεωπόνων και Τεχνολογίας Τροφίμων και Διατροφής/ Τμήμα Διατροφής & Διαιτολογίας
Subject classification: Παιδιά προσχολικής ηλικίας--Διατροφή
Φυσική κατάσταση για παιδιά
Υγιεινή συμπεριφορά στα παιδιά
Preschool children--Nutrition
Physical fitness for children
Health behavior in children
Keywords: φυσική κατάσταση;διατροφή;διατροφικές απόψεις
Description: It is well known that nutrition has numerous health benefits during childhood. Such health benefits are strongly associated with the child’s physical growth and emotional development (Drewnowski et al., 2014)(Cobb et al., 2015). Nutrition habits such as increased total energy and fat intake may result in chronic diseases like obesity, high cholesterol and high blood pressure levels (Smithers et al.,2011).
URI: http://195.251.240.227/jspui/handle/123456789/12090
Table of contents: Table of contents PART A: LITERATURE REVIEW 5 HOW THE LOCAL- NEIGHBOURHOOD ENVIRONMENT IS MEASURED AND HOW IT AFFECTS DIET AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 5 Α.1 INTRODUCTION 1 A.2 LOCAL- NEIGHBOURHOOD FOOD ENVIRONMENT 2 A.2.1 Categorisation of food outlets 3 A.2.2 Density and Buffers 5 A.2.3 Proximity 6 Α.2.4 Area Deprivation 8 A.3 NEIGHBOURHOOD GREEN SPACES AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 9 A.3.1 Categorisation of green spaces 10 A.3.2 Availability- Density 12 Α.3.3 Proximity 13 A.3.4 Area deprivation 15 A.3.5 Screen time 15 A.4 CONCLUSION 16 PART B: EXPERIMENTAL PART 17 ABSTRACT 17 B.1 INTRODUCTION 18 Aim 18 Objectives 18 B.2 METHODS 19 B.2.1 Study design and sample 19 B.2.2 Measures 20 B.2.3 Geographic Information System (GIS) 21 B.2.4 Statistical analyses 25 B.2.5 Missing data 26 B.3 RESULTS 27 B.3.1 Demographic characteristics of the study 27 B.3.2 Food outlet environment 31 B.3.2.1 Fast food outlets 31 B.3.2.2 Food shopping outlets 32 B.3.2.3 Proximity of main store 34 B.3.3 Green space environment 37 B.3.3.1 Density and physical activity 37 B.3.3.2 Proximity and physical activity 39 B.3.4 Area deprivation 40 B.3.4.1 Food outlets 40 B.3.4.2 Green space 41 B.4 DISCUSSION 43 B.4.1 Food outlet environment 43 B.4.1.1 Fast food outlets 43 B.4.1.2 Proximity of main store 44 B.4.2 Green space environment 45 B.4.2.1 Density and physical activity 45 B.4.2.2 Proximity and physical activity 46 B.4.3 Area deprivation 47 B.4.3.1 Food outlets 47 B.4.3.2 Greenspaces 47 Β.4.4 Limitations of the study 48 B.5 CONCLUSION 48 B.7 REFERENCES 49 APPENDICES 54
Appears in Collections:Πτυχιακές Εργασίες

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