Abstract
This study introduces a novel indicator to capture the dynamic nature of food environments (FEs) and explores their relationship with dietary patterns among rural and semi-urban households across eight communities in Thailand and Lao PDR. Understanding FEs is critical for developing effective public health policies, as they play a key role in shaping dietary choices and nutritional outcomes. FEs influence food availability, quality, and pricing, and are significant contributors to the rising prevalence of obesity and non-communicable diseases. Using data from 430 individuals from 244 households (with a total of 5,331 person-days of data), and 265 outlets, results from a multi-level analysis show contrasting findings in the two countries. In Thailand, increased interaction with external food environments is linked to less healthy diets, whereas in Lao PDR, it is associated with more unhealthy food consumption. These findings underscore the importance of considering individual dietary behaviours and preferences when designing targeted interventions to improve diet quality in low- and middle-income countries.
The seminar will be introduced by a short talk on
Global Food Security Challenges: Opportunities and Threats byProf. William Henry Meyers
Professor Emeritus at the University of Missouri and Iowa State University
Former Director of the Agriculture and Economic Development Division, FAO
Organizzazione
Mario Mazzocchi