Working with Mobile Food Vendors to Foster Healthy School Food Environments

Childhood obesity prevention efforts targeting school food often focus inside school buildings (e.g., lunchrooms, classrooms) or on competitive foods sold at school. Research has shown that students purchase and consume excess calories as they travel to and from school. Many Chicago Public School (CPS) students, particularly in predominately Latino neighborhoods, have access to foods and beverages sold by mobile vendors near schools. The Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (CLOCC) partnered with CPS in their CDC-funded Community Transformation Grant to improve the food environment around schools through work with vendors, students, and schools. CLOCC staff conducted focus groups with vendors selling near schools and with parents to understand the opportunities and barriers to selling healthy foods near schools. Findings informed the development of a healthy mobile vending intervention comprised of vendor training and technical assistance to improve the healthfulness of items offered, a social marketing campaign informed by and focused on students to build demand for healthy items, and parent and community involvement. Vendor audits provided data on foods and beverages for sale before and after the intervention. Interviews with mobile food vendors highlighted vendor willingness to sell more healthy items coupled with concerns about negative impact on profits – indicating the need for strong demand-building strategies. This paper will describe the healthy mobile vending initiative, highlight opportunities and challenges to engaging vendors in the process of creating healthy school food environments, and share lessons learned for communities interested in implementing a similar approach to improving the school-food.