A case study and early outcomes evaluation from a large urban park district healthier vending initiative

Improving vending food item quality is an Institute of Medicine recommended obesity prevention strategy. In 2010, the Chicago Park District (CPD) began efforts to implement 100% healthier snack vending in over 100 snack vending machines deployed among 470 parks. To our knowledge, it is the first Park District in the US to employ 100% healthier snack vending guidelines. While guidance for and interventions testing healthy vending initiatives have been developed, there is not much detailed information available about the processes by which healthier vending is enacted in real world settings and little information about outcomes for these efforts. A case study and early outcomes evaluation of the CPD's healthier vending strategy was conducted using mixed methods. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with CPD managers and staff, community activists, obesity prevention specialists and policy experts. Park patrons at a sample of 10 CPD Parks were surveyed about their perceptions OF healthier snack vending items. Sales revenue and machine operation metrics (machine malfunctions, out of stock information) were provided to the research team by CPD staff (through the contracted vendor as per contract terms). This presentation includes identification of key elements/resources contributing to the CPD's successful efforts to enact 100% healthier snack vending through a competitive contracting process as well as early outcomes data on patron and staff reactions and sales revenue. Learning objectives: Describe key features of healthier vending polices/contracts Identify key immediate and intermediate outcomes for healthier vending efforts Discuss potential challenges and solutions to healthier vending efforts orts