RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 P74 A mixed-methods study of consumption of hot food takeaways by schoolchildren in relation to distance walked and social deprivation: a collaborative public health research project with Sheffield city council JF Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health JO J Epidemiol Community Health FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd SP A81 OP A81 DO 10.1136/jech-2024-SSMabstracts.168 VO 78 IS Suppl 1 A1 Payne, N A1 Goyder, E A1 Reuben, R A1 Oren, P A1 Bennett, P A1 Clarke, Z A1 Elliott, P YR 2024 UL http://jech.bmj.com/content/78/Suppl_1/A81.1.abstract AB Background Childhood obesity is a significant health challenge. Reducing the temptation to consume unhealthy foods (such as saturated fats and sugars found in most takeaways) by council controls on the proximity of these retail outlets to schools has been suggested as a useful intervention. However, a proposal to use planning powers to restrict the opening of new hot food takeaways within 800m of a school was politically controversial and needed investigation.Methods In collaboration with Sheffield City Council, eight medical students undertook an observational, ethnographic study. They observed use of hot food takeaways by secondary school children in a purposive sample of eight schools representing a mix of social backgrounds. Final data collection methods were selected after a pilot study. Quantitative Data A pre-piloted standardised table was used by four teams of two students at different locations to record: distances of takeaways from the schools; numbers of schoolchildren visiting takeaways at lunchtime and after school. Sheffield Council provided data on free school meal eligibility, social deprivation, and ethnicity for each area and school. Correlation analysis was used to examine relevant relationships. Qualitative Data The students made structured notes of the areas and schools visited to examine issues such as the social environment and use of other retail outlets. Stepwise thematic analysis was used for analysis. After familiarisation with the data, individual concepts were coded, and common themes identified.Results Quantitative Greater use of takeaways was not associated with closer proximity to the school, Spearman’s ρ = -0.02, p= 0.94. Nor was greater takeaway use associated with deprivation measured as free school meal eligibility, ρ = 0.1, p= 0.82. (Using Local Index of Multiple Deprivation score gave a similar result.) Qualitative Hot food takeaways observed sold foods high in sugar, salt, and fat, but other sources of unhealthy food were also widely used, especially convenience food stores and takeaways with restaurant status. However, there was considerable use of takeaways as social spaces with low consumption per child. No schoolchildren were observed entering takeaways at lunchtime near schools with stay-on-site policiesConclusion This study showed that distance from hot food takeaways was not associated with frequency of use. It does not, therefore, provide direct evidence to support restriction based on distance. Future studies should investigate environments around schools to understand the behaviours of schoolchildren within their surrounding food environments; and to identify more fully the main factors which affect obesity in secondary schoolchildren.