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Neighborhood Physical Environment and Changes in Body Mass Index: Results From the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Neighborhood Physical Environment and Changes in Body Mass Index: Results From the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Tonatiuh Barrientos-Gutierrez, Kari A B Moore, Amy H Auchincloss, Mahasin S Mujahid, Carmella August, Brisa N Sanchez and Ana V Diez Roux
American journal of epidemiology, v 186(11), pp 1237-1245
01 Dec 2017
PMID: 29206987
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwx186View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Body Mass Index Leisure Activities Residence Characteristics Geographic Information Systems Prospective Studies United States Humans Middle Aged Food Supply - standards Male Social Environment Food Supply - statistics & numerical data Social Class Walking Sports and Recreational Facilities - statistics & numerical data Aged, 80 and over Environment Design Female Perception Surveys and Questionnaires Aged Longitudinal Studies
Longitudinal associations between neighborhood characteristics and body mass index (BMI; weight (kg)/height (m)2) were assessed from 2000 to 2011 among 5,919 participants in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. The perceived availability of healthy food and walking environment were assessed via surveys, and 1-mile (1.6-km) densities of supermarkets, fruit-and-vegetable stores, and recreational facilities were obtained through a commercial database. Econometric fixed-effects models were used to estimate the association between within-person changes in neighborhood characteristics and within-person change in BMI. In fully adjusted models, a 1-standard-deviation increase in the healthy food environment index was associated with a 0.16-kg/m2 decrease in BMI (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.27, -0.06) among participants with obesity at baseline. A 1-standard-deviation increase in the physical activity environment index was associated with 0.13-kg/m2 (95% CI: -0.24, -0.02) and 0.14-kg/m2 (95% CI: -0.27, -0.01) decreases in BMI for participants who were overweight and obese at baseline, respectively. Paradoxically, increases in the physical activity index were associated with BMI increases in persons who were normal-weight at baseline. This study provides preliminary longitudinal evidence that favorable changes in neighborhood physical environments are related to BMI reductions in obese persons, who comprise a substantial proportion of the US population.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
International collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
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