Authors' objectives:

The main aim of this systematic review is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of environmental interventions at reducing calorie intake or calorie density. Another objective of this review is to assess the literature examining the effectiveness of environmental interventions in combination with other interventions and using other measures of dietary behaviour change.

Authors' recommendations: Educational settings have been the most common location for environmental interventions, especially using calorie intake as an outcome. The most common environmental interventions were changes in the recipes, menus or prices of items available at food service areas. Point-of-choice information was also frequently used. Environmental interventions were often combined with other types of interventions in workplace, educational or community settings. Environmental interventions based in educational settings have been associated with variable effects on dietary behaviour. Although some improvements in eating habits have been reported most studies (especially those that included an educational intervention) have not found any significant improvement in dietary behaviour. Restaurant-based environmental interventions are relatively inexpensive and easy to deploy and they appear successful at improving sales figures for their targeted items over the duration of their use. In particular, point-of-choice information in restaurants and cafeterias increase the sales of targeted items during the duration of their use, especially if they include promotional rather than just educational messages. Mixed educational and environmental interventions located at workplaces can effectively improve dietary habits although not all programmes have been successful. Providing shoppers with electronic feedback about their purchases appears a promising supermarket-based intervention to reduce calorie intake. Other environmental interventions in supermarkets have generally provided positive results and most have at least been associated with significant increases in the sales of selected items. In recent trials community-based environmental interventions, despite their potential to improve the health status of the whole population, have been associated with only modest results.

Authors' methods: Systematic review

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: http://nzhta.chmeds.ac.nz/publications.htm

Year Published: 2001

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: New Zealand

Organisation Name: New Zealand Health Technology Assessment

Contact Address: Department of Public Health and General Practice, Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 4345, Christchurch, New Zealand. Tel: +64 3 364 1145; Fax: +64 3 364 1152;

Contact Name: nzhta@chmeds.ac.nz

Contact Email: nzhta@chmeds.ac.nz

Copyright: New Zealand Health Technology Assessment