JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Food environments are crucial for promoting healthy and sustainable eating and preventing obesity. However, existing food environment frameworks assume an already installed causality and do not explain how associations in food environments are established or articulated, especially from an integrative and transdisciplinary approach. This research attempts to bridge these gaps through the use of Actor-Network Theory (ANT), which traces the relationship network between human (and non-human) actors in order to describe how these interact and what agencies (direct or remote) are involved.

Objective:

To explain the practices and interactions of actors in food environments in order to approach the problem of unhealthy eating with a transdisciplinary approach.

Methods:

This is a non-experimental, cross-sectional study. Due to the complexity of the study phenomena, a mixed-methods approach with four consecutive phases will be developed in Chile. Phase 1. A systematic literature review of food environment evidence since 2015, following the PRISMA protocol; Phase 2. The application of a shortened version of the Nutrition Environment Measure Scale-Perceptions adapted to Chile (NEMS-P-Ch) in two neighborhoods with different socioeconomic levels; Phase 3. Six focus groups in each neighborhood will be conducted to address social determinants such as gender, employment status, and migration; Phase 4. Participant observation and in-depth interviews will be used to analyze the direct and empirical exploration of the actors in their daily interaction with food environments. The triangulation and complementarity of the data will allow us to create a practical model about the practices and interactions of actors in their food environments, which reflects the complexity and transdisciplinary nature of the study.

Results:

We have advanced in Phases 1 and 2 of the study. In Phase 1, 109 manuscripts are being revised for data extraction. In Phase 2, we applied NEMS-P-Ch to 785 people, 49.4% of whom belong to a low socioeconomic neighborhood. Participants from Phase 2 will be contacted to participate in the focus groups during July and August 2024 (Phase 3).

Conclusions:

Through a transdisciplinary point of view and a mixed-methods approach, this study aims to deepen the understanding of the complex phenomena of how food environments influence eating behaviors. Utilizing Actor-Network Theory, the study will offer a more holistic comprehension of how individuals interact with their surroundings. Furthermore, the study proposes to develop a model that more accurately reflects reality by examining not only the food environments themselves but also the interactions among various stakeholders within these environments and their daily behaviors. This study will provide evidence-based insights to inform public policies tailored to the territories and communities under investigation or those with similar characteristics.