Public acceptability of proposals to manage new takeaway food outlets near schools: cross-sectional analysis of the 2021 International Food Policy Study

Matthew Keeble; Jean Adams; Ben Amies-Cull; Michael Chang; Steven Cummins; Daniel Derbyshire; David Hammond; Suzan Hassan; Bochu Liu; Antonieta Medina-Lara; Oliver Mytton; John Rahilly; Nina Rogers; Bea Savory; Richard Smith; Claire Thompson; Christine M White; Martin White; Thomas Burgoine

doi:10.1080/23748834.2024.2336311

Public acceptability of proposals to manage new takeaway food outlets near schools: cross-sectional analysis of the 2021 International Food Policy Study

Cities Health. 2024 Apr 19;8(6):1094-1107. doi: 10.1080/23748834.2024.2336311. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Matthew Keeble¹, Jean Adams¹, Ben Amies-Cull², Michael Chang³, Steven Cummins⁴, Daniel Derbyshire⁵, David Hammond⁶, Suzan Hassan⁴, Bochu Liu^{1

7}, Antonieta Medina-Lara⁵, Oliver Mytton^{1

8}, John Rahilly^{1

8}, Nina Rogers¹, Bea Savory⁴, Richard Smith⁵, Claire Thompson⁹, Christine M White⁶, Martin White¹, Thomas Burgoine¹

Affiliations

¹ MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK.
² Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
³ Department of Health and Social Care, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, UK.
⁴ Population Health Innovation Lab, Department of Public Health, Environments & Society, Faculty of Public Health & Policy, London School of Tropical Hygiene and Medicine, London, UK.
⁵ Department of Public Health and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
⁶ School of Public Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada.
⁷ Department of Urban Planning, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
⁸ Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
⁹ School of Health and Social Work, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire, UK.

Abstract

Global trends indicate that takeaway food is commonly accessible in neighbourhood food environments. Local governments in England can use spatial planning to manage the opening of new takeaway outlets in 'takeaway management zones around schools' (known sometimes as 'exclusion zones'). We analysed data from the 2021 International Food Policy Study to investigate public acceptability of takeaway management zones around schools. Among adults living in Great Britain (n = 3323), 50.8% supported, 8.9% opposed, and 37.3% were neutral about the adoption of these zones. Almost three-quarters (70.4%) believed that these zones would help young people to eat better. Among 16-17 year olds (n = 354), 33.3% agreed that young people would consume takeaway food less often if there were fewer takeaways near schools. Using adjusted logistic regression, we identified multiple correlates of public support for and perceived effectiveness of takeaway management zones. Odds of support were strongest among adults reporting that there were currently too many takeaways in their neighbourhood food environment (odds ratio: 2.32; 95% confidence intervals: 1.61, 3.35). High levels of support alongside limited opposition indicate that proposals for takeaway management zones around schools would not receive substantial public disapproval. Policy makers should not, therefore, use limited public support to rationalise policy inertia.

Keywords: Exclusion zones; fast food; food environment; public acceptability; public support; takeaway food outlet; takeaway management zones around schools.

Grants and funding

This study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Public Health Research Programme [Project number: NIHR130597]. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. MK, NR, MW, JA and TB were supported by the Medical Research Council [grant number MC_UU_00006/7]. OM was supported by a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship [MR/T041226/1]. Funding for the International Food Policy Study was provided by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Project Grant [PJT-162167], with additional support from the National Institute for Health Research [NIHR13059]. CT was supported by the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) East of England [NIHR130597]. For the purpose of open access, the authors have applied a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising.