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Running to the Store? The relationship between neighborhood environments and the risk of obesity

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  • Zick, Cathleen D.
  • Smith, Ken R.
  • Fan, Jessie X.
  • Brown, Barbara B.
  • Yamada, Ikuho
  • Kowaleski-Jones, Lori

Abstract

We expand the search for modifiable features of neighborhood environments that alter obesity risk in two ways. First, we examine residents' access to neighborhood retail food options in combination with neighborhood features that facilitate physical activity. Second, we evaluate neighborhood features for both low income and non-low income neighborhoods (bottom quartile of median neighborhood income versus the top three quartiles). Our analyses use data from the Utah Population Database merged with U.S. Census data and Dun & Bradstreet business data for Salt Lake County, Utah. Linear regressions for BMI and logistic regressions for the likelihood of being obese are estimated using various measures of the individual's neighborhood food options and walkability features. As expected, walkability indicators of older neighborhoods and neighborhoods where a higher fraction of the population walks to work is related to a lower BMI/obesity risk, although the strength of the effects varies by neighborhood income. Surprisingly, the walkability indicator of neighborhoods with higher intersection density was linked to higher BMI/obesity risk. The expected inverse relationship between the walkability indicator of population density and BMI/obesity risk is found only in low income neighborhoods. We find a strong association between neighborhood retail food options and BMI/obesity risk with the magnitude of the effects again varying by neighborhood income. For individuals living in non-low income neighborhoods, having one or more convenience stores, full-service restaurants, or fast food restaurants is associated with reduced BMI/obesity risk, compared to having no neighborhood food outlets. The presence of at least one healthy grocery option in low income neighborhoods is also associated with a reduction in BMI/obesity risk relative to no food outlets. Finally, multiple food options within a neighborhood reduce BMI/obesity risk, relative to no food options, for individuals living in either low-income or non-low neighborhoods.

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  • Zick, Cathleen D. & Smith, Ken R. & Fan, Jessie X. & Brown, Barbara B. & Yamada, Ikuho & Kowaleski-Jones, Lori, 2009. "Running to the Store? The relationship between neighborhood environments and the risk of obesity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 1493-1500, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:69:y:2009:i:10:p:1493-1500
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    2. Calvin P Tribby & Harvey J Miller & Barbara B Brown & Carol M Werner & Ken R Smith, 2017. "Analyzing walking route choice through built environments using random forests and discrete choice techniques," Environment and Planning B, , vol. 44(6), pages 1145-1167, November.
    3. Piccolo, Rebecca S. & Duncan, Dustin T. & Pearce, Neil & McKinlay, John B., 2015. "The role of neighborhood characteristics in racial/ethnic disparities in type 2 diabetes: Results from the Boston Area Community Health (BACH) Survey," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 79-90.
    4. Gerlinde Grasser & Delfien Dyck & Sylvia Titze & Willibald Stronegger, 2013. "Objectively measured walkability and active transport and weight-related outcomes in adults: a systematic review," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 58(4), pages 615-625, August.
    5. Michael D. M. Bader & Marnie Purciel & Paulette Yousefzadeh & Kathryn M. Neckerman, 2010. "Disparities in Neighborhood Food Environments: Implications of Measurement Strategies," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 86(4), pages 409-430, October.
    6. Jue Wang & Mei-Po Kwan, 2018. "An Analytical Framework for Integrating the Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Environmental Context and Individual Mobility in Exposure Assessment: A Study on the Relationship between Food Environment Exposu," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-24, September.
    7. Adriana Dornelles, 2019. "Impact of multiple food environments on body mass index," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(8), pages 1-14, August.
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    10. Browning, Christopher R. & Cagney, Kathleen A. & Iveniuk, James, 2012. "Neighborhood stressors and cardiovascular health: Crime and C-reactive protein in Dallas, USA," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(7), pages 1271-1279.
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    13. Jo, Young, 2017. "The Differences in Characteristics Among Households With and Without Obese Children: Findings From USDA’s FoodAPS," Economic Information Bulletin 263089, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    14. Daniel S. Morris & Eric C. Main & Jenine K. Harris & Abraham Moland & Curtis Cude, 2015. "State-Issued Identification Cards Reveal Patterns in Adult Weight Status," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-15, June.
    15. Cecilia Anza-Ramirez & Mariana Lazo & Jessica Hanae Zafra-Tanaka & Ione Avila-Palencia & Usama Bilal & Akram Hernández-Vásquez & Carolyn Knoll & Nancy Lopez-Olmedo & Mónica Mazariegos & Kari Moore & D, 2022. "The urban built environment and adult BMI, obesity, and diabetes in Latin American cities," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    16. Kolodinsky, Jane M. & Battista, Geoffrey & Roche, Erin & Lee, Brian H.Y. & Johnson, Rachel K., 2017. "Estimating the effect of mobility and food choice on obesity in a rural, northern environment," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 30-39.
    17. Johnston, David W. & Lordan, Grace, 2014. "Weight perceptions, weight control and income: An analysis using British data," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 12(C), pages 132-139.
    18. Grzyb, Tomasz & Kulczyk, Sylwia & Derek, Marta & Woźniak, Edyta, 2021. "Using social media to assess recreation across urban green spaces in times of abrupt change," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    19. Lee, Helen, 2012. "The role of local food availability in explaining obesity risk among young school-aged children," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(8), pages 1193-1203.
    20. Andrews, Gavin J. & Hall, Edward & Evans, Bethan & Colls, Rachel, 2012. "Moving beyond walkability: On the potential of health geography," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(11), pages 1925-1932.
    21. Zeng, Di & Thomsen, Michael R. & Nayga, Rodolfo M. & Bennett, Judy L., 2019. "Supermarket access and childhood bodyweight: Evidence from store openings and closings," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 78-88.
    22. Timothy F. Ledoux & Igor Vojnovic & June Manning Thomas & Kameshwari Pothukuchi, 2017. "Standing in the Shadows of Obesity: The Local Food Environment and Obesity in Detroit," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 108(5), pages 605-624, October.
    23. Kathryn Freeman Anderson, 2018. "Racial/Ethnic Residential Segregation, the Distribution of Physician’s Offices and Access to Health Care: The Case of Houston, Texas," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-18, July.
    24. Jae Eun Lee & Jung Hye Sung & Mohamad Malouhi, 2015. "Statistical Validation of a Web-Based GIS Application and Its Applicability to Cardiovascular-Related Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    25. Danna Ethan & Corey H. Basch & Sonali Rajan & Lalitha Samuel & Rodney N. Hammond, 2013. "A Comparison of the Nutritional Quality of Food Products Advertised in Grocery Store Circulars of High- versus Low-Income New York City Zip Codes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.

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