Chief Investigators: Janis Baird and Christina Vogel, Professor of Public Health and Epidemiology and Adjunct Professor of Food Policy, MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton

Team:

Dr Sarah Muir, Senior Research Fellow, MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton

Dr Kath Woods-Townsend, Principal Research Fellow, School of Healthcare, Enterprise and Innovation

Dr Sarah Crozier, Senior Statistician, MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton

Dr Hayward Godwin, Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Southampton

Professor Marcus Munafo and Dr Olivia Maynard, Bristol University

Ravita Taheem, Southampton City Council, lead on childhood obesity

Partners: Bristol University, University of Southampton, Southampton City Council

Start: 1 October 2024

End: 31 March 2026

Background

A poor diet significantly contributes to illnesses including heart disease, diabetes and stroke. One in three children who leave primary school have obesity or overweight, raising concerns about their future health. The teenage years are crucial because this is when young people start making their own food choices, setting the stage for their lifelong eating habits.

The Problem

The journey to and from school often involves passing by convenience stores which rely on shoppers, such as young people, to impulse-buy products that are high in fat, salt and sugar. The presence of these stores in school neighbourhoods may be linked to the high rates of childhood obesity.

Our Research Focus

We used a qualitative approach to understand convenience stores near schools influence the buying patterns of young people making their own dietary decisions.

Study Design

Our research ran between October 2024 and March 2026. Forty-three students from two secondary schools in Hampshire took part in focus groups about how they used convenience stores near their school. Young people from the LifeLab NxtGen programme were also employed as citizen scientists: they took part in a ‘mystery shopper’ task to purchase a healthy product near the stores and reported on their experience.  NxtGen researchers also worked with the team to support the  analysis of findings and development of dissemination materials.

Expected Outcomes

Our findings will provide critical insights for shaping policies. They may help refine existing regulations on food placement and promotions, which currently exempt small businesses, potentially worsening health inequalities among young people.

Engagement and Dissemination

The team, including members of the NxtGen research group, have developed an infographic detailing core recommendations for independent stores in the UK to help improve young people’s access to healthier food. Plans are underway to share this infographic with our young participants, as well as policy makers and retail groups. Internationally, our research will also be presented in scientific journals and at conferences.