Fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption benefits the health of populations. This can be especially the case in locations which have undergone significant changes in their food environments, such as East and Southeast Asian countries. This current systematic review is the first to study the food environments—facilitators, barriers, and moderators—associated with FV consumption in East and Southeast Asia. We consulted five electronic academic databases of English peer-reviewed papers published between 2010 and 2020 and found 31 studies. Results of these studies show that individuals strongly perceive FVs as being high-quality and safe, and having trust in their benefits. Food businesses with modernized systems have significantly fostered the consumption of FVs. A main barrier to FV consumption, however, is financial concerns, exacerbated by food businesses with FV unavailability and urbanization-induced FV price inflation and dietary patterns. Demographics and shopping patterns further hinder FV consumption. The fragmented and conditionalized findings of the 31 studies require standardized FV consumption measurements. Unlike the impact of FV consumption determinants and their interactions in Western countries, those in Asia, particularly countries other than China, have been substantially understudied. Therefore, as the research gaps in studies of food environments and FV consumption in East and Southeast Asia urgently demand scholarly attention, this paper proposes recommendations that favour the consumption of FVs.

What is already known on this topic? Previous literature confirmed a positive association between clusters of fast-food restaurants around schools and obesity rates of school children. Few studies about fast-food clustering around schools have been conducted in a high-density urban setting such as Hong Kong.What is added by this report? Fast-food restaurants around secondary schools were substantially clustered in Hong Kong. The school food environment in Hong Kong showed unique heterogeneities compared with the school food environment in a Western setting. What are the implications for public health practice?Students in some areas may have a disproportionate share of health problems caused by an obesogenic environment. Observed clusters of fastfood restaurants in Hong Kong can alert policy makers to design effective interventions targeting the secondary schools located in such environments.

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