Development and validation of a food retail environment analysis protocol in Iran.

Objective: This study aimed to adapt and validate a Food Retail Environment Analysis Protocol in Shiraz, Iran.

Design: The protocol was developed by integrating the Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey in Stores with the food retail module from the International Network for Food and Obesity/Non-communicable Diseases Research, Monitoring, and Action Support. After translating, synthesising and back-translating the protocol, a panel of experts reviewed and refined it to ensure cultural and contextual appropriateness. Its validity was assessed through expert evaluation, and the pre-final version was field-tested to assess reliability across different food retail environments.

Setting: Shiraz City, a metropolis in Iran.

Participants: Nine food retail stores, including kiosks, small- and medium-sized food retailers (comparable to convenience stores) and large food retailers (comparable to grocery stores).

Results: Content and face validity were assessed using the content validity ratio (0·64-1), content validity index (0·78-1) and item impact score (2·84-4·83). Reliability testing by two researchers showed a 93·77 % agreement and an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0·89-1. The protocol includes fourteen food groups, most of which are categorised as either healthy or unhealthy. It evaluates product availability, prominence, quality, pricing and both in-store and out-of-store food promotions.

Conclusion: The validated protocol effectively assesses diverse retail food environments, offering essential data for evaluating policies and guiding interventions to improve healthy food access. It is adaptable for broader regional or international application in public health and food policy contexts.