Food Environment in and around Primary School Children’s Schools and Neighborhoods in Two Urban Settings in Kenya

Abstract

We conducted a cross-sectional study to provide an overview primary school children food environment in two urban settings in Kenya. Six schools, catering to children from low-, medium- and high-income households in the cities of Nairobi and Kisumu in Kenya, participated in the study. Data on types of food places and foods offered were collected and healthy and unhealthy food availability scores calculated for each place. We utilized prevalence ratio analysis to examine associations between food availability, food place characteristics and neighborhood income levels. Altogether, 508 food places, located within 1 km of the schools and the school children’s neighborhoods were observed. Open-air market sellers and kiosks were most common. The proportion of food places with high healthy food availability was 2.2 times greater among food places in Nairobi compared to Kisumu, 1.9 times greater in food places with multiple cashpoints, 1.7 times greater in medium/large sized food places and 1.4 times greater in food places located in high income neighborhoods. These findings highlight differences in availability of healthy foods and unhealthy foods across types of food places and neighborhood income levels and inform public health interventions aimed at promoting healthy food environments in Kenya.

Patterns and predictors of elevated blood pressure and hypertension among primary school children in urban Kenya

“…The percentage of adult women in Nairobi that consumed potato chips in a week varied from 26% among women from low SES households to 64% among women from high SES households [46]. About 23% of food retail outlets and 54% of prepared food sources found near primary schools and in school children's neighbourhoods in Kisumu and Nairobi offered fried vegetables, predominantly fried potatoes [16]. Sixty-eight percent of adolescent girls in low and middle-income countries consumed salty snacks four to six times a week [47].…”

“…The highest enrolment of public primary schools catering to children from low, middle and high-income households in each Sub-County was identified, giving a total of three participating schools per Sub-County, referred to as low, middle and high-income schools in the manuscript. Details of children's study sample size estimation are available in a previous publication [16]. Sixty-five to seventy children in grades 4–6 in each school were randomly selected to participate in the obesity research study.…”