Use of the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: The Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey (NEMS) measures were developed to assess the consumer food environment in stores and restaurants. NEMS tools have been widely used in research and adapted for diverse settings and populations in the 15 years since they were created. This systematic review examines the use and adaptations of these measures and what can be learned from published studies using NEMS tools. METHODS: A comprehensive search of bibliographic databases was conducted from 2007 to September 2021, supplemented by backward searches and communications with authors, to identify research articles using NEMS tools. Data on purpose, key findings, sample characteristics, NEMS characteristics, and modifications were abstracted. Articles were categorized on the basis of study goals, NEMS tool(s) used, variables measured, and common themes. RESULTS: A total of 190 articles from 18 countries were identified. Most studies (69.5%, n=123) used a modified version of NEMS tools. There were 23 intervention studies that used measures from NEMS tools or adaptations as outcomes, moderators, or process assessments. A total of 41% (n=78) of the articles evaluated inter-rater reliability, and 17% (n=33) evaluated test-retest reliability. DISCUSSION: NEMS measures have played an important role in the growth of research on food environments and have helped researchers to explore the relationships among healthy food availability, demographic variables, eating behaviors, health outcomes, and intervention-driven changes in food environments. The food environment is constantly changing, so NEMS measures should continue to evolve. Researchers should document data quality of modifications and use in new settings.

Strategic Priorities for Physical Activity Surveillance in the United States.

PURPOSE: Develop strategic priorities to guide future physical activity surveillance in the United States. METHODS: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine convened a scientific roundtable of physical activity and measurement experts. Participants summarized the current state of aerobic physical activity surveillance for adults, focusing on practice and research needs in three areas: 1) behavior, 2) human movement, and 3) community supports. Needs and challenges for each area were identified. At the conclusion of the meeting, experts identified one overarching strategy and five strategic priorities to guide future surveillance. RESULTS: The identified overarching strategy was to develop a national plan for physical activity surveillance similar to the U.S. National Physical Activity Plan for promotion. The purpose of the plan would be to enhance coordination and collaboration within and between sectors, such as transportation and public health, and to address specific strategic priorities identified at the roundtable. These strategic priorities were used 1) to identify and prioritize physical activity constructs; 2) to assess the psychometric properties of instruments for physical activity surveillance; 3) to provide training and technical assistance for those collecting, analyzing, or interpreting surveillance data; 4) to explore accessing data from alternative sources; and 5) to improve communication, translation, and dissemination about estimates of physical activity from surveillance systems. CONCLUSION: This roundtable provided strategic priorities for physical activity surveillance in the United States. A first step is to develop a national plan for physical activity surveillance that would provide an operating framework from which to execute these priorities.

Improving health through policies that promote active travel: a review of evidence to support integrated health impact assessment.

BACKGROUND: Substantial policy changes to control obesity, limit chronic disease, and reduce air pollution emissions, including greenhouse gasses, have been recommended. Transportation and planning policies that promote active travel by walking and cycling can contribute to these goals, potentially yielding further co-benefits. Little is known, however, about the interconnections among effects of policies considered, including potential unintended consequences. OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: We review available literature regarding health impacts from policies that encourage active travel in the context of developing health impact assessment (HIA) models to help decision-makers propose better solutions for healthy environments. We identify important components of HIA models of modal shifts in active travel in response to transport policies and interventions. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Policies that increase active travel are likely to generate large individual health benefits through increases in physical activity for active travelers. Smaller, but population-wide benefits could accrue through reductions in air and noise pollution. Depending on conditions of policy implementations, risk tradeoffs are possible for some individuals who shift to active travel and consequently increase inhalation of air pollutants and exposure to traffic injuries. Well-designed policies may enhance health benefits through indirect outcomes such as improved social capital and diet, but these synergies are not sufficiently well understood to allow quantification at this time. CONCLUSION: Evaluating impacts of active travel policies is highly complex; however, many associations can be quantified. Identifying health-maximizing policies and conditions requires integrated HIAs.

Indoor tanning facility density in eighty U.S. cities.

The purpose of this study was to examine the number of tanning facilities in select U.S. cities. The twenty most populated cities from each of 4 U.S. regions were selected for the sample. For each city, data on the number of tanning facilities, climate, and general demographic profile were collected. Data for state tanning facility legislation also were collected. A tanning facility density variable was created by dividing the city's number of facilities by its population size. The 80 cities had an average of 50 facilities each. Results of linear regression analysis indicated that higher density was significantly associated with colder climate, lower median income, and higher proportion of Whites. These data indicate that indoor tanning facilities are prevalent in the environments of U.S. urban-dwellers. Cities having the higher density profile may be logical targets for interventions promoting less or safer use of these facilities.