Texas Nutrition Environment Assessment (TxNEA) Background

In May 2007, 25 Texas health professionals were trained to use the Nutrition Environments Measures Survey (NEMS), developed and tested by Emory University and funded by RWJF, which includes measures for assessing nutrition options in restaurants and grocery/convenient stores with established inter-rater reliability, test-retest reliability, and construct validity.

DSHS Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity Prevention Program, University of Texas- Austin Department of Kinesiology and Health Education & Department of Human Ecology/Nutrition, Steps to a Healthier Austin, and Texas State University- San Marcos Department of Nutrition and Foods began adapting the measures to meet the needs of Texas communities and to focus specifically on obesity by considering calorie content of food options.

In November 2008, 30 Texas health professionals and researchers interested in using TxNEA convened to review the latest adaptations. After providing thorough feedback and helpful suggestions to improve the measures, TxNEA has been further adapted to meet the needs of the Texas public health workforce who will be using it for various projects throughout Texas.

Current Projects

Aldine Action Communities for Health, Innovation and Environmental Change (ACHIEVE) Initiative – With funding from the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, ACHIEVE will use TxNEA to conduct an assessment of food options in all grocery stores in East Aldine Management District, a 14.8-square mile district in unincorporated Harris County, and will use the findings to inform environmental change-focused interventions in the East Aldine community.

Texas Childhood Obesity Prevention Policy Evaluation (T-COPPE) – With funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health and the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living at The University of Texas School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus will use a modified version of TxNEA to evaluate food allocation package revisions administered through Texas Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program to inform decision makers about the effectiveness of the policy.

TxNEA Tool, Modified Tools, and Training Protocols

TxNEA - Grocery and Convenience Store

TxNEA - Grocery and Convenience Store Training Materials

TxNEA – Restaurant (coming soon)

Modified TxNEA (T-COPPE) – This version was modified by the University of Texas School of Public Health/Dell Center for the Advancement of Healthy Living and Texas A&M to evaluate changes in access and availability as a result of the WIC Food Package changes in Texas.

Modified TxNEA (T-COPPE) Training Materials

Future Plans

DSHS NPAOP will continue to update this website to serve as a clearinghouse for using TxNEA, its modifications and current projects, training materials and protocols, and for posting any relevant research findings.  By working closely with Texas partners who are currently assessing the nutrition environment in Texas, or have an interest in doing so, DSHS NPAOP hopes to create a core set of measures from TxNEA so that partners across the state can collect data that is comparable throughout Texas, and the state would have the ability to conduct surveillance activities in the nutrition environment in the future.

If you are interested in using TxNEA, have any questions about this project, or would like to share information about your related project on this website please contact the NPAOP Program.

External links to other sites are intended to be informational and do not have the endorsement of the Texas Department of State Health Services. These sites may also not be accessible to people with disabilities.

Last Updated August 12, 2009