Journal article
Neighbourhoods' social, built, and natural environment characteristics and body mass index in Latin American cities
International journal of epidemiology, v 54(3), dyaf047
12 Apr 2025
PMID: 40258365
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Features of neighbourhoods affect body mass index (BMI) but this has been poorly acknowledged within the highly heterogeneous and unequal contexts of Latin American cities. We evaluated associations between social, built, and natural environment characteristics of neighbourhoods with BMI, and investigated whether these associations were modified by individual socioeconomic position (SEP).
We linked individual data (n = 43 968) from national health surveys to data on neighbourhoods (n = 3428) and cities (n = 165) in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. Linear mixed models were used to estimate associations between neighbourhood education, intersection density, and greenness with BMI, adjusting for individual- and city-level characteristics.
Associations between neighbourhood education and BMI varied by country, in both magnitude and direction. In Argentina and Chile, higher neighbourhood education was associated with lower BMI. This negative association was also observed among women in Colombia and Mexico, although it was weaker. Among men in Colombia and Mexico, however, the association was positive. Associations of neighbourhood intersection density and greenness with BMI were less robust. In general, we did not find strong evidence of effect modification by individual SEP.
Neighbourhood education is associated with BMI beyond individual and city characteristics, although the associations are heterogenous across countries and by gender. Associations with built and natural features were less clear. Our results highlight the relevance of context-specific analysis for planning interventions that are aimed to reduce BMI and its unequal distribution in Latin American cities.
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Details
- Title
- Neighbourhoods' social, built, and natural environment characteristics and body mass index in Latin American cities
- Creators
- Santiago Rodríguez López (Corresponding Author) - University of CórdobaAna V Diez Roux - Drexel UniversityNatalia Tumas - Universidad Nacional de CórdobaKari Moore - Drexel UniversityOlga Lucía Sarmiento - Universidad de Los AndesBrisa N Sánchez - Drexel UniversityCarolina Pérez-Ferrer - Center for Research in Population Health, National Institute of Public Health, MexicoSandra Flores-Alvarado - University of ChileMónica Mazariegos - Institute of Nutrition of Central America and PanamaUsama Bilal - Drexel UniversityMariana Lazo - Drexel University
- Publication Details
- International journal of epidemiology, v 54(3), dyaf047
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Number of pages
- 9
- Grant note
- 205177/Z/16/Z / Wellcome Trust
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Urban Health Collaborative; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Community Health and Prevention
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001470872000001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105003145254
- Other Identifier
- 991022048364304721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Public, Environmental & Occupational Health