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A study of Philadelphia schoolchildren published in Pediatrics finds that children who shop at convenience stores before or after school purchased an average of 360 calories worth of foods and beverages during each visit, MedPage Today reports. With a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), researchers from Temple University, The Food Trust and the Philadelphia School District surveyed more than 800 students in grades 4 through 6 who shopped at 24 corner stores in Philadelphia before and after school hours. More than 53 percent of students reported shopping at corner stores once daily, five days per week, and 29 percent reported shopping both before and after school, five days per week. Per purchase, children spent on average $1 and purchased an average total of 357 calories. The researchers note that chips were the most frequently purchased item, accounting for about 34 percent of all items purchased along with candy, sugar-sweetened beverages and gum. Kelley Borradaile, Ph.D., the study’s lead researcher, notes that “corner stores are an important part of the urban landscape, and they have a significant impact on the amount and quality of calories children consume.” As such, the researchers call for such stores to begin stocking fresh fruits, vegetables and other healthy food items and suggest that future nutrition education efforts take into account access to local convenience food stores (Fiore, MedPage Today, 10/12/09; RWJF release, 10/12/09; Borradaile et al., Pediatrics, 11/5/09 [subscription required]).