Validating Food and Activity Establishment Listings
Author Information
Author(s): Catherine Paquet, Mark Daniel, Yan Kestens, Karine Léger, Lise Gauvin
Primary Institution: University of South Australia
Hypothesis
Can secondary data sources accurately represent the availability of food stores and physical activity establishments?
Conclusion
Commercial data sources may provide a valid alternative to field observations for evaluating commercial environments relevant to eating behavior.
Supporting Evidence
- The commercial list had a good agreement (0.73) with field observations.
- The Internet-based list had a moderate agreement (0.60) with field observations.
- Sensitivity was higher for the commercial list compared to the Internet-based list.
Takeaway
This study checked if lists of food stores and activity places from the internet and commercial databases were correct by comparing them to what was actually found in neighborhoods.
Methodology
Lists of establishments were compiled from commercial databases and internet searches, followed by field observations to verify their presence.
Potential Biases
Potential over-representation of food stores in commercial listings due to outdated information.
Limitations
The study only validated one commercial database and focused on specific types of establishments, limiting generalizability.
Participant Demographics
Census tracts selected based on socio-economic status and predominant language in Montreal.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.006
Confidence Interval
Not provided
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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