Applying Systems Thinking to Improve a Hospital Food Retail Environment.

Objective: To identify factors influencing the availability and sales of healthy food and drinks in a café located in a hospital setting in a rural area.

Methods: Three online and 1 in-person group model building workshops were conducted with hospital staff members to develop a causal loop diagram.

Results: Four areas in the causal loop diagram were identified, 5 teams were created to implement 15 identified action ideas, and an action registry was created to track their progress.

Healthy Diets in Rural Victoria-Cheaper than Unhealthy Alternatives, Yet Unaffordable.

Rural communities experience higher rates of obesity and reduced food security compared with urban communities. The perception that healthy foods are expensive contributes to poor dietary choices. Providing an accessible, available, affordable healthy food supply is an equitable way to improve the nutritional quality of the diet for a community, however, local food supply data are rarely available for small rural towns.

You Can't Find Healthy Food in the Bush: Poor Accessibility, Availability and Adequacy of Food in Rural Australia.

In high-income countries, obesity disproportionately affects those from disadvantaged and rural areas. Poor diet is a modifiable risk factor for obesity and the food environment a primary driver of poor diet. In rural and disadvantaged communities, it is harder to access affordable and nutritious food, affecting both food insecurity and the health of rural residents.