ArticleHealth research policy and systems2022
Implementing healthy food environment policies in New Zealand: nine years of inaction.
Article in Health research policy and systems, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Adolescents' unhealthy snacking behaviour during the school journey and the association with transport modes and food outlets along the school route.Perspectives in public health · 2026Review
- Update and Comparative Analysis of Food Environment Policies in Mexico: Implementation of the Healthy Food Environment Policy Index in 2016 and 2024.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026Review
- Article
- A Pilot Evaluation of WELLfed, a Community-Based Adult Education Intervention.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- How has the cost of feeding New Zealand children well changed from 2018 to 2023? Monthly price changes of a modelled lower-cost healthy diet.Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand · 2025Article
- How do they eat: a digital diet ethnography of dietary behavior determinants among New Zealand and Chinese university students.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
- Trends in the healthiness and nutrient composition of packaged products sold by major food and beverage companies in New Zealand 2015 to 2019.BMC medicine · 2024Article
- Childhood caries is associated with poor health and a faster pace of aging by midlife.Journal of public health dentistry · 2023Article
- The Healthy Food Environment Policy Index in Poland: Implementation Gaps and Actions for Improvement.Foods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Ultra-Processed Food Availability and Sociodemographic Associated Factors in a Brazilian Municipality.Frontiers in nutrition · 2022Article
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5 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundThe INFORMAS [International Network for Food and Obesity/Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) Research, Monitoring and Action Support] Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) was developed to evaluate the degree of implementation of widely recommended food environment policies by national governments against international best practice, and has been applied in New Zealand in 2014, 2017 and 2020. This paper outlines the 2020 Food-EPI process and compares policy implementation and recommendations with the 2014 and 2017 Food-EPI.
methodsIn March-April 2020, a national panel of over 50 public health experts participated in Food-EPI. Experts rated the extent of implementation of 47 "good practice" policy and infrastructure support indicators compared to international best practice, using an extensive evidence document verified by government officials. Experts then proposed and prioritized concrete actions needed to address the critical implementation gaps identified. Progress on policy implementation and recommendations made over the three Food-EPIs was compared.
resultsIn 2020, 60% of the indicators were rated as having "low" or "very little, if any" implementation compared to international benchmarks: less progress than 2017 (47%) and similar to 2014 (61%). Of the nine priority actions proposed in 2014, there was only noticeable action on one (Health Star Ratings). The majority of actions were therefore proposed again in 2017 and 2020. In 2020 the proposed actions were broader, reflecting the need for multisectoral action to improve the food environment, and the need for a mandatory approach in all policy areas.
conclusionsThere has been little to no progress in the past three terms of government (9 years) on the implementation of policies and infrastructure support for healthy food environments, with implementation overall regressing between 2017 and 2020. The proposed actions in 2020 have reflected a growing movement to locate nutrition within the wider context of planetary health and with recognition of the social determinants of health and nutrition, resulting in recommendations that will require the involvement of many government entities to overcome the existing policy inertia. The increase in food insecurity due to COVID-19 lockdowns may provide the impetus to stimulate action on food polices.
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