The Effectiveness of Local‐Level Food Environment Policies in Improving Diet Quality of Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Population Groups. A Systematic Literature Review

Socioeconomically disadvantaged populations consistently tend to have poorer diet quality, with food environments being a key factor underlying these disparities. Food environment‐oriented local government policies may constitute a positive solution for improvement. To date, no systematic review has evaluated effectiveness of these policies, specifically for disadvantaged groups. Methods Between February and March 2025 we have searched 16 databases of peer‐reviewed and gray literature on subnational food environment policies addressing dietary behaviors among socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. The Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food‐EPI) framework was used to classify the policies. Results Seventy seven studies addressing 104 policies, predominantly US‐based municipal‐level policies (88%) were identified. The policies targeted primarily food retail, pricing, and provision. Their effectiveness in improving diet quality among disadvantaged populations was modest or mixed, with mainly economic incentives and combined environmental‐behavioral approaches producing consistent dietary gains. Isolated policies focused on infrastructure or labeling showed a limited impact. There are limitations due to risk of bias, vague outcomes evaluation, and resource constraints affecting sustainability. Conclusion Local‐level food environment policies can improve diet quality among socioeconomically disadvantaged populations, but their effects are generally modest and design‐dependent. Financial incentives and multicomponent environmental‐behavioral approaches showed the most consistent benefits, whereas isolated infrastructure‐ or labelling‐focused policies had limited impact. Sustainable implementation requires multisectoral collaboration, local tailoring, and supportive legal and funding frameworks.