Fast food is close at hand to many schools

One in three teenagers are within walking distance from school to cheap, greasy food, according to a new study.

The study, which will be published in Health and Place, polled 31,000 middle and high schools in the US, including 1,700 in 20 large cities. It found that one third of secondary schools had a fast food restaurant or convenience store within half a mile of school.

A multivariate analysis found that schools in low-income neighborhoods were more likely to have more fast food and convenience stores than in high-income areas. Also, Caucasian neighborhoods were more likely than African American neighborhoods to have such eateries. Urban areas with a high school were much more likely to have more food outlets than areas without any schools.