Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To develop an informed, reliable data collection tool to code restaurants found within the youth food environment. METHODS: Registered Dietitians were surveyed and academic literature review was reviewed to determine health centric food environment features. Features were incorporated into an electronic data collection tool. Inter-rater reliability was tested across coders of varying nutrition training on all restaurants located within a half-mile of three high schools. RESULTS: Sixteen restaurant food environment codes were generated. Data collection had a mean inter-rater reliability of 90.7% agreement (range=81.3-100%), suggesting that regardless of nutrition training, the restaurant food environment can be reliability coded. CONCLUSIONS: Academic and public health professionals can use this tool to collect reliable, informed local restaurant food environment data.