IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i5p4511-d1086723.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

When Students Patronize Fast-Food Restaurants near School: The Effects of Identification with the Student Community, Social Activity Spaces and Social Liability Interventions

Author

Listed:
  • Brennan Davis

    (Orfalea College of Business, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407, USA)

  • Cornelia Pechmann

    (Paul Merage School of Business, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA)

Abstract

US schools have fast-food restaurants nearby, encouraging student patronage, unhealthy consumption, and weight gain. Geographers have developed an activity space framework which suggests this nearby location effect will be moderated by whether people perceive the location as their activity space. Therefore, we study whether students perceive a fast-food restaurant near school as their activity space, and whether social marketing messages can change that perception. We conducted six studies: a secondary data analysis with 5986 students, a field experiment with 188 students, and four lab experiments with 188, 251, 178, and 379 students. We find that students who strongly identify with their student community patronize a fast-food restaurant near school (vs. farther away) because they view it as their activity space, while students who weakly identify do not. For example, in our field experiment, 44% vs. 7% of students who strongly identified with the student community patronized the near versus farther restaurant, while only 28% versus 19% of students who weakly identified patronized the near and farther restaurants comparably. We also find that to deter the strong identifiers, messages should convey that patronage is a social liability, e.g., portray student activism against fast food. We show that standard health messages do not change perceptions of restaurants as social activity spaces. Thus, to combat the problem of fast-food restaurants near schools causing unhealthy consumption, policy and educational interventions should focus on students who strongly identify with their student community and find ways to weaken their perceptions that fast-food restaurants near schools are their activity spaces.

Suggested Citation

  • Brennan Davis & Cornelia Pechmann, 2023. "When Students Patronize Fast-Food Restaurants near School: The Effects of Identification with the Student Community, Social Activity Spaces and Social Liability Interventions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-24, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:5:p:4511-:d:1086723
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/5/4511/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/5/4511/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nixon, L. & Mejia, P. & Dorfman, L. & Cheyne, A. & Young, S. & Friedman, L.C. & Gottlieb, M.A. & Wooten, H., 2015. "Fast-food fights: News coverage of local efforts to improve food environments through land-use regulations, 2000-2013," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 105(3), pages 490-496.
    2. Austin, S.B. & Melly, S.J. & Sanchez, B.N. & Patel, A. & Buka, S. & Gortmaker, S.L., 2005. "Clustering of fast-food restaurants around schools: A novel application of spatial statistics to the study of food environments," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 95(9), pages 1575-1581.
    3. Davis, B. & Carpenter, C., 2009. "Proximity of fast-food restaurants to schools and adolescent obesity," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(3), pages 505-510.
    4. Sturm, Roland & Hattori, Aiko, 2015. "Diet and obesity in Los Angeles County 2007–2012: Is there a measurable effect of the 2008 “Fast-Food Ban”?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 205-211.
    5. Melissa Pflugh Prescott & Judith A. Gilbride & Sean P. Corcoran & Brian Elbel & Kathleen Woolf & Roland O. Ofori & Amy Ellen Schwartz, 2022. "The Relationship between School Infrastructure and School Nutrition Program Participation and Policies in New York City," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-12, August.
    6. Nixon, L. & Mejia, P. & Dorfman, L., 2015. "Erratum: Fast-food fights: News coverage of local efforts to improve food environments through land-use regulations 2000-2013 (Am J Public Health (2015) 105, (490-496) DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.30236)," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 105(4), pages 1-10.
    7. Carpenter, C.S. & Pechmann, C., 2011. "Exposure to the above the influence antidrug advertisements and adolescent marijuana use in the United States, 2006-2008," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 101(5), pages 948-954.
    8. Reitzel, L.R. & Regan, S.D. & Nguyen, N. & Cromley, E.K. & Strong, L.L. & Wetter, D.W. & McNeill, L.H., 2014. "Density and proximity of fast food restaurants and body mass index among African Americans," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 104(1), pages 110-116.
    9. Elizabeth L. Budd & Raoul S. Liévanos & Brigette Amidon, 2020. "Open Campus Policies: How Built, Food, Social, and Organizational Environments Matter for Oregon’s Public High School Students’ Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-19, January.
    10. Ashe, M. & Jernigan, D. & Kline, R. & Galaz, R., 2003. "Land Use Planning and the Control of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Fast Food Restaurants," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(9), pages 1404-1408.
    11. Sly, D.F. & Hopkins, R.S. & Trapido, E. & Ray, S., 2001. "Influence of a counteradvertising media campaign on initiation of smoking: The Florida "truth" campaign," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 91(2), pages 233-238.
    12. Jonah Berger & Lindsay Rand, 2008. "Shifting Signals to Help Health: Using Identity Signaling to Reduce Risky Health Behaviors," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 35(3), pages 509-518, March.
    13. Tonya Williams Bradford, 2021. "We can fix this! Donor activism for nonprofit supply generation," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 49(2), pages 397-417, March.
    14. Alviola, Pedro A. & Nayga, Rodolfo M. & Thomsen, Michael R. & Danforth, Diana & Smartt, James, 2014. "The effect of fast-food restaurants on childhood obesity: A school level analysis," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 12(C), pages 110-119.
    15. Youfa Wang & Liang Wang & Hong Xue & Weidong Qu, 2016. "A Review of the Growth of the Fast Food Industry in China and Its Potential Impact on Obesity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-16, November.
    16. Pechmann, Cornelia & Knight, Susan J, 2002. "An Experimental Investigation of the Joint Effects of Advertising and Peers on Adolescents' Beliefs and Intentions about Cigarette Consumption," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 29(1), pages 5-19, June.
    17. Kang, Yong-Soon & Herr, Paul M & Page, Christine M, 2003. "Time and Distance: Asymmetries in Consumer Trip Knowledge and Judgments," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 30(3), pages 420-429, December.
    18. David C. Wheeler & Joseph Boyle & D. Jeremy Barsell & Trevin Glasgow & F. Joseph McClernon & Jason A. Oliver & Bernard F. Fuemmeler, 2022. "Associations of Alcohol and Tobacco Retail Outlet Rates with Neighborhood Disadvantage," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-13, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Asirvatham, Jebaraj & Thomsen, Michael R. & Nayga, Rodolfo M. & Goudie, Anthony, 2019. "Do fast food restaurants surrounding schools affect childhood obesity?," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 124-133.
    2. Dolton, Peter J. & Tafesse, Wiktoria, 2022. "Childhood obesity, is fast food exposure a factor?," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 46(C).
    3. Adriana Dornelles, 2019. "Impact of multiple food environments on body mass index," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(8), pages 1-14, August.
    4. Abrahamsson, Sara & Bütikofer, Aline & Karbownik, Krzysztof, 2023. "Swallow This: Childhood and Adolescent Exposure to Fast Food Restaurants, BMI, and Cognitive Ability," CEPR Discussion Papers 18213, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    5. Lin Lin & Xueming (Jimmy) Chen & Anne Vernez Moudon, 2021. "Measuring the Urban Forms of Shanghai’s City Center and Its New Districts: A Neighborhood-Level Comparative Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-18, July.
    6. Hall, Brian J. & Huang, Lei & Yi, Grace & Latkin, Carl, 2021. "Fast food restaurant density and weight status: A spatial analysis among Filipina migrant workers in Macao (SAR), People's Republic of China," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    7. Hamrick, Karen & Okrent, Abigail, 2014. "Timing is Everything: The Role of Time and the Business Cycle in Fast-Food Purchasing Behavior in the United States," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 170156, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. Han, Jeehee & Schwartz, Amy Ellen & Elbel, Brian, 2020. "Does proximity to fast food cause childhood obesity? Evidence from public housing," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    9. Chenyang Wang & Zhiping Zhen & Nan Zhao & Chenlin Zhao, 2021. "Associations between Fast-Food Restaurants Surrounding Kindergartens and Childhood Obesity: Evidence from China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-15, September.
    10. Harrison, Flo & Jones, Andrew P. & van Sluijs, Esther M.F. & Cassidy, Aedín & Bentham, Graham & Griffin, Simon J., 2011. "Environmental correlates of adiposity in 9-10 year old children: Considering home and school neighbourhoods and routes to school," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(9), pages 1411-1419, May.
    11. Laura Seliske & William Pickett & Andrei Rosu & Ian Janssen, 2012. "Identification of the Appropriate Boundary Size to Use When Measuring the Food Retail Environment Surrounding Schools," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-13, July.
    12. Shirlene D. Wang & Michele Nicolo & Li Yi & Genevieve F. Dunton & Tyler B. Mason, 2021. "Interactions among Reward Sensitivity and Fast-Food Access on Healthy Eating Index Scores in Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-10, May.
    13. Phoebe R. Ruggles & Jacob E. Thomas & Natalie S. Poulos & Keryn E. Pasch, 2023. "School-Level Socioeconomic Status and Nutrient Content of Outdoor Food/Beverage Advertisements," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(18), pages 1-12, September.
    14. Hamrick, Karen & Okrent, Abigail, 2014. "The Role of Time in Fast-Food Purchasing Behavior in the United States," Economic Research Report 191034, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    15. Lorna K. Fraser & Kimberly L. Edwards & Janet Cade & Graham P. Clarke, 2010. "The Geography of Fast Food Outlets: A Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 7(5), pages 1-19, May.
    16. Meliyanni Johar & Shiko Maruyama & Jeffrey Truong, 2017. "The contribution of Western fast food to fast-growing body mass in China," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(8), pages 797-811, February.
    17. Elnaz Moghimi & Mary E Wiktorowicz, 2019. "Regulating the Fast-Food Landscape: Canadian News Media Representation of the Healthy Menu Choices Act," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-22, December.
    18. Jo, Young, 2017. "The Differences in Characteristics Among Households With and Without Obese Children: Findings From USDA’s FoodAPS," Economic Information Bulletin 263089, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    19. Adamopoulou, Effrosyni & Olivieri, Elisabetta & Triviza, Eleftheria, 2024. "Eating habits, food consumption, and health: The role of early life experiences," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    20. Laura Seliske & William Pickett & Rebecca Bates & Ian Janssen, 2012. "Field Validation of Food Service Listings: A Comparison of Commercial and Online Geographic Information System Databases," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(8), pages 1-7, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:5:p:4511-:d:1086723. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.