{"id":284,"date":"2017-01-11T16:41:53","date_gmt":"2017-01-11T16:41:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nccororgms.wpengine.com\/tools-mruserguides\/?page_id=284"},"modified":"2017-05-26T17:36:27","modified_gmt":"2017-05-26T17:36:27","slug":"introduction","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.nccor.org\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/introduction\/","title":{"rendered":"1. Introduction"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pl-284\"  class=\"panel-layout\" ><div id=\"pg-284-0\"  class=\"panel-grid panel-no-style\" ><div id=\"pgc-284-0-0\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-284-0-0-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_text panel-first-child panel-last-child\" data-index=\"0\" ><h3 class=\"widget-title\">Food Environment<\/h3>\t\t\t<div class=\"textwidget\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nccor.org\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-content\/themes\/mcuserguide\/assets\/images\/grey.gif\" data-original=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/01\/food.jpg\" alt=\"environment\" width=\"350\" class=\"lazy aligncenter size-full\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/01\/food.jpg\" alt=\"environment\" width=\"350\" class=\"aligncenter size-full\" \/><\/noscript>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<p>MEASURES REGISTRY USER GUIDE<\/p>\r\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/nccororgms.wpengine.com\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/NCCOR_MR_User_Guide_Food_Environment-FINAL.pdf\"><b>Download Full PDF <\/b><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nccor.org\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-content\/themes\/mcuserguide\/assets\/images\/grey.gif\" data-original=\"http:\/\/nccororgms.wpengine.com\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/11\/pdf.jpg\" alt=\"pdf\" width=\"19\" height=\"20\" class=\"lazy aligncenter wp-image-75\" style=\"display: inline-block;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/nccororgms.wpengine.com\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2016\/11\/pdf.jpg\" alt=\"pdf\" width=\"19\" height=\"20\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-75\" style=\"display: inline-block;\" \/><\/noscript><\/a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"wpcmsdev-accordion\">\r\n<div class=\"accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"accordion-item-title\"><a href=\"#accordion-item-1-introduction\"><i class=\"fa fa-plus icon-for-inactive\"><\/i><i class=\"fa fa-minus icon-for-active\"><\/i>1. Introduction<\/a><\/h3><div id=\"accordion-item-1-introduction\" class=\"accordion-item-content\"><p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/introduction\/#overview\">Overview of the Food Environment Measures Registry User Guide<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/introduction\/#organization\">Organization of This User Guide<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"accordion-item-title\"><a href=\"#accordion-item-2-measuring-food-environments\"><i class=\"fa fa-plus icon-for-inactive\"><\/i><i class=\"fa fa-minus icon-for-active\"><\/i>2. Measuring Food Environments<\/a><\/h3><div id=\"accordion-item-2-measuring-food-environments\" class=\"accordion-item-content\"><p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/measuring-food-environments\/#why\">Why Study the Food Environment?<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/measuring-food-environments\/#defining\">Defining Food Environments<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"accordion-item-title\"><a href=\"#accordion-item-3-key-concepts-in-food-environment-assessment\"><i class=\"fa fa-plus icon-for-inactive\"><\/i><i class=\"fa fa-minus icon-for-active\"><\/i>3. Key Concepts in Food Environment Assessment<\/a><\/h3><div id=\"accordion-item-3-key-concepts-in-food-environment-assessment\" class=\"accordion-item-content\"><p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/key-concepts-in-food-environment-assessment\/#physical\">Physical Food Environment<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/key-concepts-in-food-environment-assessment\/#social\">Social Environment<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/key-concepts-in-food-environment-assessment\/#person-centered\">Person-centered Environment<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"accordion-item-title\"><a href=\"#accordion-item-4-evaluating-existing-measures\"><i class=\"fa fa-plus icon-for-inactive\"><\/i><i class=\"fa fa-minus icon-for-active\"><\/i>4. Evaluating Existing Measures<\/a><\/h3><div id=\"accordion-item-4-evaluating-existing-measures\" class=\"accordion-item-content\"><p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/evaluating-existing-measures\/#importance\">The Importance of Psychometric Properties<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"accordion-item-title\"><a href=\"#accordion-item-5-measures-with-evidence-of-reliability-and-validity\"><i class=\"fa fa-plus icon-for-inactive\"><\/i><i class=\"fa fa-minus icon-for-active\"><\/i>5. Measures with Evidence of Reliability and Validity<\/a><\/h3><div id=\"accordion-item-5-measures-with-evidence-of-reliability-and-validity\" class=\"accordion-item-content\"><p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/measures-with-evidence-of-reliability-and-validity\/#physical\">Physical Food Environment<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/measures-with-evidence-of-reliability-and-validity\/#social\">Social Food Environment<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/measures-with-evidence-of-reliability-and-validity\/#person-centered\">Person-Centered Environment<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"accordion-item-title\"><a href=\"#accordion-item-6-selecting-measures\"><i class=\"fa fa-plus icon-for-inactive\"><\/i><i class=\"fa fa-minus icon-for-active\"><\/i>6. Selecting Measures<\/a><\/h3><div id=\"accordion-item-6-selecting-measures\" class=\"accordion-item-content\"><p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/selecting-measures\/#project\">Project Purpose<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/selecting-measures\/#population\">Population and Venues of Interest<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/selecting-measures\/#data\">Data Collection and Analysis Resources<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/selecting-measures\/#health\">Health Behavior or Outcome of Interest<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/selecting-measures\/#process\">Suggested Process for Using the Measures Registry<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"accordion-item-title\"><a href=\"#accordion-item-7-collecting-and-reporting-data\"><i class=\"fa fa-plus icon-for-inactive\"><\/i><i class=\"fa fa-minus icon-for-active\"><\/i>7. Collecting and Reporting Data<\/a><\/h3><div id=\"accordion-item-7-collecting-and-reporting-data\" class=\"accordion-item-content\"><p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/collecting-and-reporting-data\/#mode\">Data Collection Mode and Sampling<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/collecting-and-reporting-data\/#collectors\">Data Collectors<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/collecting-and-reporting-data\/#time\">Data Collection Time Period<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/collecting-and-reporting-data\/#analysis\">Data Analysis and Reporting<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"accordion-item-title\"><a href=\"#accordion-item-8-case-studies\"><i class=\"fa fa-plus icon-for-inactive\"><\/i><i class=\"fa fa-minus icon-for-active\"><\/i>8. Case Studies<\/a><\/h3><div id=\"accordion-item-8-case-studies\" class=\"accordion-item-content\"><p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/case-studies\/#case1\">Case Study 1: Evaluating a School-Based Intervention on its Ability to Positively Influence the School Food Environment<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/case-studies\/#case2\">Case Study 2: Evaluating a Family-Based Intervention on its Ability to Reduce BMI-Z Scores in Children with Obesity<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/case-studies\/#case3\">Case Study 3: Improving Healthy Eating Behaviors in Independent Neighborhood Restaurants<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/case-studies\/#case4\">Case Study 4 Implementing a Farmers\u2019 Market-based Obesity Treatment Program to Change Purchase and Eating Behaviors for Women and Children Enrolled in WIC\/SNAP Programs<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"accordion-item-title\"><a href=\"#accordion-item-9-future-considerations-in-food-environment-assessment\"><i class=\"fa fa-plus icon-for-inactive\"><\/i><i class=\"fa fa-minus icon-for-active\"><\/i>9. Future Considerations in Food Environment Assessment<\/a><\/h3><div id=\"accordion-item-9-future-considerations-in-food-environment-assessment\" class=\"accordion-item-content\"><p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/future-considerations\/#considering\">Considering the Level of Variability obtained in Food Environmental Measures<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/future-considerations\/#moving\">Moving Beyond Observation Data and Increasing the Evaluation of Longitudinal Relationships and Change Over Time<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/future-considerations\/#increasing\">Increasing the Attention Paid to the Expected Associations Between Environmental Measures and Outcomes<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"accordion-item-title\"><a href=\"#accordion-item-10-conclusion\"><i class=\"fa fa-plus icon-for-inactive\"><\/i><i class=\"fa fa-minus icon-for-active\"><\/i>10. Conclusion<\/a><\/h3><div id=\"accordion-item-10-conclusion\" class=\"accordion-item-content\"><p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/conclusion\">Conclusion<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"accordion-item\"><h3 class=\"accordion-item-title\"><a href=\"#accordion-item-references\"><i class=\"fa fa-plus icon-for-inactive\"><\/i><i class=\"fa fa-minus icon-for-active\"><\/i>References<\/a><\/h3><div id=\"accordion-item-references\" class=\"accordion-item-content\"><p><b><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/references\">References<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><div id=\"pgc-284-0-1\"  class=\"panel-grid-cell\" ><div id=\"panel-284-0-1-0\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_text panel-first-child\" data-index=\"1\" ><div class=\"print-this panel-widget-style panel-widget-style-for-284-0-1-0\" >\t\t\t<div class=\"textwidget\"><div class='printomatic pom-small ' id='id4716'  data-print_target='.print-this'><\/div>\n<div class=\"wpcmsdev-columns\">\n<div class=\"column column-width-one-fifth\"><div class=\"wpcmsdev-box\">\n<h3 class=\"box-title\">SECTION<\/h3>\n<div class=\"box-content\">\n<h1>1<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"column column-width-four-fifths\"><h1>Introduction<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"wpcmsdev-columns\">\n<div class=\"column column-width-three-fifths\"><p>Measurement is a fundamental component of all forms of research and it is certainly true for research on childhood obesity. A top priority for the National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research (NCCOR) is to encourage consistent use of high-quality, comparable measures and research methods across childhood obesity prevention and research.<\/p>\n<p>NCCOR\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/nccor.org\/nccor-tools\/measures\/index\" target=\"_blank\">Measures Registry<\/a>\u2014a free, online repository of articles about measures\u2014helps achieve this aim. It is widely recognized as a key resource that gives researchers and practitioners access to detailed information on measures in one easy-to-search location. The Registry\u2019s measures focus on four domains that can influence childhood obesity on a population level:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-size: 16px;\">\n<li>Individual Diet<\/li>\n<li>Food Environment<\/li>\n<li>Individual Physical Activity<\/li>\n<li>Physical Activity Environment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"column column-width-two-fifths\"><div class=\"wpcmsdev-alert color-violet\">\n<div class=\"alert-content\">\n<h6 style=\"color: #954989; font-size: 1em;\">NCCOR: WORKING TOGETHER TO REVERSE CHILDHOOD OBESITY<\/h6>\n<p style=\"color: #954989 !important; line-height: 20px; font-size:0.9em;\">NCCOR is a partnership of the four leading funders of childhood obesity research: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). These four leaders joined forces in 2008 to continually assess the needs in childhood obesity research, develop joint projects to address gaps and make strategic advancements, and work together to generate fresh and synergetic ideas to reduce childhood obesity. For more information about NCCOR, visit <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nccor.org\" target=\"_blank\">www.nccor.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<p>Even with this resource, however, it can be challenging for users to choose the most appropriate measures for their work. To address this need, NCCOR began the Measures Registry User Guide project in 2015. Organized by the same four domains as the Measures Registry, the User Guides are designed to provide an overview of measurement, describe general principles of measurement selection, present case studies that walk users through the process of using the Measures Registry to select appropriate measures, and direct researchers and practitioners to additional resources and sources of useful information (<a href=\"#figure1\">Figure 1<\/a>). The User Guides will help move the field forward by fostering more consistent use of measures, which will allow for standardization, meta-analyses, and synthesis.<\/p>\n\n<div>\n<div class=\"wpcmsdev-alert color-green\"><div class=\"alert-content\"><p><b id=\"figure1\">Figure 1: <\/b>NCCOR Measures Registry User Guides<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nccor.org\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-content\/themes\/mcuserguide\/assets\/images\/grey.gif\" data-original=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/01\/MRUG-graphic.png\" alt=\"Figure 1: NCCOR Measures Registry User Guides\" width=\"500\" class=\"lazy aligncenter size-full\" \/><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/01\/MRUG-graphic.png\" alt=\"Figure 1: NCCOR Measures Registry User Guides\" width=\"500\" class=\"aligncenter size-full\" \/><\/noscript>\n<\/div>\n\n<h4 class=\"body-heading\" id=\"overview\">Overview of the Food Environment Measures Registry User Guide<\/h4>\n\n<p>The overall goal of this User Guide is to help users of the NCCOR Measures Registry make informed decisions when selecting, processing, and interpreting measurement tools for assessing the food environment with an emphasis on environments affecting childhood obesity including neighborhoods, schools, preschools and other community venues and homes. This Guide is not intended to be a comprehensive summary of all measures, an evaluation of the measures, or a compilation of research using the measures. Instead, it fills a different niche by emphasizing the measurement issues that should be considered when selecting and using food environment measures for research and practice purposes.<\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"body-heading\" id=\"organization\">Organization of this User Guide<\/h4>\n\n<p>This Guide provides an orientation to food environment assessment methods by setting and discusses considerations for measure selection and utilization. The Guide includes a few case studies that give examples of these considerations in practice. The Guide is designed to be useful for both researchers and practitioners. Below is an outline of the sections included in this User Guide.<\/p>\n\n<p>In addition to this Introduction, this User Guide includes the following sections:<\/p>\n\n<p><h6><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/measuring-food-environments\/\" target=\"_blank\">Section 2. Measuring Food Environment<\/a><\/h6> provides a rationale for assessing food environments and defines the key food environment venues. Understanding the nature of these environments and the existing evidence will help the user to identify the most appropriate measures for the setting they wish to study.<\/p>\n\n<p><h6><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/key-concepts-in-food-environment-assessment\/\" target=\"_blank\">Section 3. Key Concepts in Food Environment Assessment<\/a><\/h6> describes the various methods of food environment measurement across settings and other key concepts to consider when selecting environmental measures.<\/p>\n\n<p><h6><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/evaluating-existing-measures\/\" target=\"_blank\">Section 4. Evaluating Existing Measures<\/a><\/h6> provides an overview of the key measurement properties to consider when selecting environmental measures, including terminology, distinction between reliability and validity, single- vs. multi-item measures, response scales, and sensitivity to change.<\/p>\n\n<p><h6><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/measures-with-evidence-of-reliability-and-validity\/\" target=\"_blank\">Section 5. Measures with Evidence of Reliability and Validity<\/a><\/h6> provides examples of commonly used measurement tools with relatively extensive evidence of reliability and\/or validity for assessing environments in various settings. <\/p>\n\n<p><h6><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/selecting-measures\/\" target=\"_blank\">Section 6. Selecting Measures<\/a><\/h6> outlines the process of selecting appropriate measurement tools for the given study population and research or evaluation aims. Additional considerations such as resources required for data collection and analysis are discussed, as well as suggestions for using the Measures Registry.<\/p>\n\n<p><h6><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/collecting-and-reporting-data\/\" target=\"_blank\">Section 7. Collecting and Reporting Data<\/a><\/h6> outlines methods and resources for successful and reliable data collection, including identifying local expertise, training staff, and deriving variables from the raw data.<\/p>\n\n<p><h6><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/case-studies\/\">Section 8. Case Studies<\/a><\/h6> use hypothetical study designs to illustrate decision making based on the information in this Guide. Both practice- and research-based examples are given, as well as selection considerations depending on the project purpose, study population, and intended audience of the study.<\/p>\n\n<p><h6><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/future-considerations\/\" target=\"_blank\">Section 9. Future Considerations in Food Environment Assessment<\/a><\/h6> highlights gaps in the food environment research and makes recommendations to facilitate continued advances in this field.<\/p>\n\n<p><h6><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/conclusion\/\" target=\"_blank\">Section 10. Conclusion<\/a><\/h6> <\/p>\n\n<p><h6><a href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/references\/\" target=\"_blank\">References<\/a><\/h6> <\/p><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><div id=\"panel-284-0-1-1\" class=\"so-panel widget widget_text panel-last-child\" data-index=\"2\" >\t\t\t<div class=\"textwidget\"><div class=\"wpcmsdev-columns\">\n<div class=\"column column-width-one-half\"><p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"column column-width-one-half\"><p style=\"text-align:right;\"><a class=\"wpcmsdev-button color-violet\" href=\"\/tools-mruserguides\/food-environment\/measuring-food-environments\/\"><span>Next<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Even with this resource, however, it can be challenging for users to choose the most appropriate measures for their work. To address this need, NCCOR began the Measures Registry User Guide project in 2015. Organized by the same four domains as the Measures Registry, the User Guides are designed to provide an overview of measurement, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":282,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-284","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nccor.org\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/284","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nccor.org\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nccor.org\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nccor.org\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nccor.org\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=284"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nccor.org\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/284\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nccor.org\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nccor.org\/tools-mruserguides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=284"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}