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Proximity to multiple fast food outlets may be detrimental to CV health
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The risk for heart disease may be elevated with an increasing number of fast food outlets near the home, according to data published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
“Cardiovascular diseases significantly contribute to the global morbidity and mortality. The increased number of people suffering from CVD has paralleled changes in the food environment toward large-scale, inexpensive and calorie-dense food production,” Maartje Poelman, PhD, from the department of human geography and spatial planning at Utrecht University, the Netherlands, and colleagues wrote in the study background. “These changes have influenced the population’s food consumption, which has been hypothesized to affect the development of CVD. The proposed environmental influence that shapes food consumption and, in succession, health aligns with socioecological theories.”
To determine the relationship between fast food outlet density and 1-year incidence of individual-level CVD, the researchers conducted a 2,472,004-patient study using data from three linked national registries.
The participants were aged at least 35 years (mean age, 59 years; 46% men), free from CVD and living at the same address for at least 15 years.
For 1 year, researchers followed participants to determine CVD incidence, including CHD, stroke and HF.
Poelman and colleagues determined fast food outlet density using a retail outlet database and calculated street network-based buffers of 500m, 1,000m and 3,000m around residential addresses.
Models were stratified by degree of urbanization and adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, marital status, comorbidities, neighborhood-level income and population density.
Effect on CVD
The incidence of CVD and CHD was significantly higher within 500-m buffers with one or more fast food outlets in urban areas compared with areas with no fast food outlets, according to fully adjusted models.
Elevated fast food outlet density within 1000m was linked to significantly increased rates of CVD and CHD.
The researchers noticed, however, the farther the distance that the residential buffers stretched, the less pronounced the evidence became.
The relationship was more prominent in urban than rural areas. “The weak association in rural areas could be due to the lower density of fast food outlets compared to urban areas,” Poelman said in a press release. “It may also be related to the way people behave in rural areas, for example using the car more often and being less reliant on the residential area.”
Additionally, the effect of fast food outlet density was less pronounced for stroke and HF incidence.
Policy implications
Public policymakers should be aware of the effect of urban fast food outlet density on health, especially since the numbers continue to increase, Poelman said in the release.
“Policies are starting to reflect the influence of the food environment on health,” she said. “We need to create healthier environments to prevent heart disease and banning fast food outlets or regulating a maximum number is one piece of the puzzle. Other elements include improving the availability of fresh and healthy food to buy. We can stimulate people to buy health food if we create an environment where it is the default choice.” − by Dave Quaile
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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