Development and Validation of the Vending Evaluation for Nutrient-Density (VEND)ing Audit

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health Food Studies and Nutrition, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA. thoracek@syr.edu.
² Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. elifdy@auburn.edu.
³ Department of Public Health Food Studies and Nutrition, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA. mmatthews7290@gmail.com.
⁴ Department of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. bredbenner@sebs.rutgers.edu.
⁵ Department of Nutrition, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA. scolby1@utk.edu.
⁶ School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5735, USA. awhite@maine.edu.
⁷ Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. kpagan@ufl.edu.
⁸ Division of Animal & Nutritional Sciences, School of Agriculture, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA. Melissa.Olfert@mail.wvu.edu.
⁹ Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. anne.mathews@ufl.edu.
¹⁰ Department of Nutrition, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA. kolmstea@vols.utk.edu.
¹¹ Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA. lfranzen2@unl.edu.
¹² Department of Molecular, Cellular & Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA. jesse.morrell@unh.edu.
¹³ Health and Nutritional Sciences Department, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA. kendra.kattelmann@sdstate.edu.

PMID: 30759796
PMCID: PMC6388218
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16030514

Development and Validation of the Vending Evaluation for Nutrient-Density (VEND)ing Audit

Tanya M Horacek et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019.

. 2019 Feb 12;16(3):514.

doi: 10.3390/ijerph16030514.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Public Health Food Studies and Nutrition, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA. thoracek@syr.edu.
² Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA. elifdy@auburn.edu.
³ Department of Public Health Food Studies and Nutrition, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA. mmatthews7290@gmail.com.
⁴ Department of Nutritional Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA. bredbenner@sebs.rutgers.edu.
⁵ Department of Nutrition, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA. scolby1@utk.edu.
⁶ School of Food and Agriculture, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5735, USA. awhite@maine.edu.
⁷ Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. kpagan@ufl.edu.
⁸ Division of Animal & Nutritional Sciences, School of Agriculture, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA. Melissa.Olfert@mail.wvu.edu.
⁹ Food Science and Human Nutrition Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA. anne.mathews@ufl.edu.
¹⁰ Department of Nutrition, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA. kolmstea@vols.utk.edu.
¹¹ Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA. lfranzen2@unl.edu.
¹² Department of Molecular, Cellular & Biomedical Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA. jesse.morrell@unh.edu.
¹³ Health and Nutritional Sciences Department, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USA. kendra.kattelmann@sdstate.edu.

PMID: 30759796
PMCID: PMC6388218
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16030514

Abstract

Background: This paper describes the development and validation of the Vending Evaluation for Nutrient-Density (VEND)ing audit to comprehensively evaluate vended products based upon healthfulness, price and promotion, and machine accessibility. Methods: A novel vending nutrient-density score was created to determine the healthfulness of vended snack/beverage products. Field tested in United States colleges, VENDing audit (∑nutrient-density + 10 × % healthy products) and Support sub-scores (price + promotion + accessibility) were calculated for snack/beverage machines. Higher scores indicate more healthful vending options and supports for choosing healthfully. Nutrition Environment Measures Survey-Vending (NEMS-V) was used to validate the nutrient-density score for a sub-sample of machines. Sensitivity and specificity were computed by comparing the number of healthy snacks/beverages determined by NEMS-V and the VENDing nutrient-density scores. Results: Researchers conducted the VENDing audit on 228 snack/beverage vending machines at 9 universities within the United States and used both VENDing and NEMS-V on 33 snack and 52 beverage vending machines. Mean VENDing audit scores were 4.5 ± 2.0 (2.6, 3.4) and 2.6 ± 2.0 (0, 12) for snack/beverage machines, respectively. The number of products considered healthy assessed with both the VENDing nutrient-density scores and the NEMS-V were positively correlated for beverages (r = 0.687, p < 0.001) and snacks (r = 0.366, p < 0.05). The sensitivity was excellent for beverages (0.83) and moderate for snacks (0.69); while the specificity was moderate for both beverages (0.66) and snacks (0.50). Conclusions: The VENDing audit uses unique, valid, and reliable nutrient-density scoring to evaluate snacks/beverages along a continuum of healthful criteria and comprehensively evaluates the full vending environment.

Keywords: beverages; food environment; nutrient-density score; snacks; vending machines.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Development and Validation of the Vending Evaluation for Nutrient-Density (VEND)ing Audit

Affiliations

Development and Validation of the Vending Evaluation for Nutrient-Density (VEND)ing Audit

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

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