Determinants of eating at local and western fast-food venues in an urban Asian population: a mixed methods approach

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

Research

Nasheen Naidoo¹  Ling Chew²  Jia Yi Lim²  Mei Fen Chan²  Shiqi Chen²  Salome A. Rebello³  Sheryl Ng³  Chuen Seng Tan³  Rob M. van Dam⁴ 

[1] Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, National Health Laboratory Services, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa;Health Promotion Board, Singapore, Singapore;Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore;Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore;Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, and National University Health System Singapore, Singapore, Singapore;

关键词: Eating out;    Hawker centres;    Fast-food restaurants;    Asian population;    Mixed methods approach;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12966-017-0515-x

 received in 2016-05-25, accepted in 2017-04-22,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundLike several Southeast Asian countries, Singapore has a complex eating-out environment and a rising eating-out prevalence. However the determinants and drivers of eating-out in urban Asian environments are poorly understood.MethodsWe examined the socio-demographic characteristics of persons who frequently ate away from home in local eateries called hawker centres and Western fast-food restaurants, using data from 1647 Singaporean adults participating in the National Nutrition Survey (NNS) 2010. We also assessed the underlying drivers of eating out and evaluated if these were different for eating at local eateries compared to Western fast-food restaurants using 18 focus group discussions of women (130 women).ResultsParticipants reported a high eating-out frequency with 77.3% usually eating either breakfast, lunch or dinner at eateries. Main venues for eating-out included hawker centres (61.1% usually ate at least 1 of 3 daily meals at this venue) and school/workplace canteens (20.4%). A minority of participants (1.9%) reported usually eating at Western fast-food restaurants. Younger participants and those of Chinese and Malay ethnicity compared to Indians were more likely to eat at Western fast-food restaurants. Chinese and employed persons were more likely to eat at hawker centres. The ready availability of a large variety of affordable and appealing foods appeared to be a primary driver of eating out, particularly at hawker centres.ConclusionsOur findings highlight the growing importance of eating-out in an urban Asian population where local eating venues play a more dominant role compared with Western fast-food chains. Interventions focusing on improving the food quality at venues for eating out are important to improve the diet of urban Asian populations.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017