Association between the geospatial school food environment and nutritional outcomes among school children: a systematic review

The food environment around the school influences children's food choices and dietary practices. The present review studied the status of the outside school food environment and its impact on children's nutritional outcomes. The present study conducted a systematic literature search across four electronic scientific databases (Science Direct, PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science) from January 2010 and February 2024. A comprehensive search yielded 4260 articles, and 61 eligible studies were included. The evidence suggested that the proximity to the food outlets significantly influences the nutritional status of the schoolchildren, regardless of the number and the type of outlets offering unhealthy foods around the schools. Nutritional outcomes are more influenced when food service establishments are located within 800 m of schools. Findings from developed countries indicate that closer proximity to food outlets (<800 m) is associated with poor dietary practices and higher BMI/obesity. Limited insights are observed from developing countries. The study highlights recommend for enhanced methodological standards to increase the comparability of research and to formulate evidence-based zoning regulations for restricting the sale of unhealthy foods around the school.