Abstract
Objective: In Higashidori, Aomori Prefecture, a project combining health guidance using health checkups and environmental improvements in dietary habits, was initiated to reduce sodium intake and increase potassium intake. This report focuses on the process evaluation of dietary environment improvement aimed at enhancing information accessibility within a supermarket and shopping bus operated by the supermarket as a means of getting to the supermarket. This study aimed to discuss the feasibility and effectiveness of these interventions.
Field activity: The Food Environment Improvement Initiative began in November 2021 and involves the creation and placement of low-sodium recipe cards and information labels in the supermarket and shopping bus. Information labels were placed on shelves in the supermarket displaying low-sodium foods, milk, and dairy products. Information labels were also placed on the shopping bus to communicate tips to reduce salt and increase potassium intake. Questionnaire surveys were conducted on shopping bus commuters in November 2021 (pre-survey) and March 2022 (post-survey).
Assessments: In the post-survey conducted after the information labels and recipe cards were placed, approximately 30% of respondents reported having “often seen” or “occasionally seen” the information labels on supermarket shelves, whereas about 60% reported the same for the information labels in the shopping bus. Regarding the usage of the low-sodium recipe cards, approximately 20% of respondents indicated they had “made almost all,” “made more than half,” or “made some” of the recipes.
Conclusion: The results suggest that shopping buses are a potentially more effective way to provide information to commuters than supermarkets.
