Development of a survey tool to assess the environmental determinants of health-enabling food retail practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities of remote Australia

Abstract

Abstract Background Environmental factors can impact the ability of food retail businesses to implement best practice health-enabling food retail. Methods We co-designed a short-item survey on factors influencing food retail health-enabling practice in a remote Australian setting. Publicly available submissions to an Australian Parliamentary Inquiry into food pricing and food security in remote Indigenous communities were coded using an existing remote community food systems assessment tool and thematically analysed. Themes informed survey questions that were then prioritised, refined and pre-tested with expert stakeholder input. Results One-hundred and eleven submissions were coded, and 100 themes identified. Supply chain related data produced the most themes (n = 25). The resulting 26-item survey comprised questions to assess the perceived impact of environmental factors on a store’s health-enabling practice (n = 20) and frequency of occurrence (n = 6). Conclusions The application of this evidence-informed, co-designed survey will provide a first-time cross-sectional analysis and the potential for ongoing longitudinal data and advocacy on how environmental factors affect the operations of remote stores.

Keywords

• Aboriginal
• Indigenous
• Environment and public health
• Food security
• Food retail
• Remote store