IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v102y2014icp129-137.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Does change in the neighborhood environment prevent obesity in older women?

Author

Listed:
  • Michael, Yvonne L.
  • Nagel, Corey L.
  • Gold, Rachel
  • Hillier, Teresa A.

Abstract

Neighborhood environment is consistently associated with obesity; changes to modifiable aspects of the neighborhood environment may curb the growth of obesity in the US and other developed nations. However, currently the majority of studies are cross-sectional and thus not appropriate for evaluating causality. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of a neighborhood-changing intervention on changes in obesity among older women. Over the past 30 years the Portland, Oregon metropolitan region has made significant investments in plans, regulatory structures, and public facilities to reduce sprawl and increase compact growth centers, transit-oriented development approaches, and green space. We used geocoded residential addresses to link data on land-use mix, public transit access, street connectivity, and access to green space from four time points between 1986 and 2004, with longitudinal data on body mass index (BMI) from a cohort of 2003 community-dwelling women aged 66 years and older. Height and weight were measured at clinic visits. Women self-reported demographics, health habits, and chronic conditions, and self-rated their health. Neighborhood socioeconomic status was assessed from census data. Neighborhood walkability and access to green space improved over the 18-year study period. On average there was a non-significant mean weight loss in the cohort between baseline (mean age 72.6 years) and the study's end (mean age 85.0 years). We observed no association between neighborhood built environment or change in built environment and BMI. Greater neighborhood socioeconomic status at baseline was independently associated with a healthier BMI at baseline, and protected against an age-related decline in BMI over time. BMI decreases with age reflect increased frailty, especially among older adults with complex morbidities. Future research should consider the influence of the neighborhood environment on additional relevant health outcomes and should include measures of the social environment in conjunction with built environment measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael, Yvonne L. & Nagel, Corey L. & Gold, Rachel & Hillier, Teresa A., 2014. "Does change in the neighborhood environment prevent obesity in older women?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 129-137.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:102:y:2014:i:c:p:129-137
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.11.047
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027795361300659X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.11.047?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Reid Ewing & Robert Cervero, 2010. "Travel and the Built Environment," Journal of the American Planning Association, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 76(3), pages 265-294.
    2. Morabia, A. & Costanza, M.C., 2004. "Does Walking 15 Minutes per Day Keep the Obesity Epidemic Away? Simulation of the Efficacy of a Populationwide Campaign," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 94(3), pages 437-440.
    3. Casagrande, S.S. & Gittelsohn, J. & Zonderman, A.B. & Evans, M.K. & Gary-Webb, T.L., 2011. "Association of walkability with obesity in Baltimore City, Maryland," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 101(SUPPL. 1), pages 318-324.
    4. Benjamin A. Shaw & Neal Krause & Jersey Liang & Joan Bennett, 2007. "Tracking Changes in Social Relations Throughout Late Life," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 62(2), pages 90-99.
    5. Grafova, I.B. & Freedman, V.A. & Kumar, R. & Rogowski, J., 2008. "Neighborhoods and obesity in later life," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(11), pages 2065-2071.
    6. Clarke, P. & George, L.K., 2005. "The role of the built environment in the disablement process," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 95(11), pages 1933-1939.
    7. James, P. & Troped, P.J. & Hart, J.E. & Joshu, C.E. & Colditz, G.A. & Brownson, R.C. & Ewing, R. & Laden, F., 2013. "Urban sprawl, physical activity, and body mass index: Nurses' health study and nurses' health study II," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 103(2), pages 369-375.
    8. Berke, E.M. & Koepsell, T.D. & Moudon, A.V. & Hoskins, R.E. & Larson, E.B., 2007. "Association of the built environment with physical activity and obesity in older persons," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 97(3), pages 486-492.
    9. King, Abby C. & Sallis, James F. & Frank, Lawrence D. & Saelens, Brian E. & Cain, Kelli & Conway, Terry L. & Chapman, James E. & Ahn, David K. & Kerr, Jacqueline, 2011. "Aging in neighborhoods differing in walkability and income: Associations with physical activity and obesity in older adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(10), pages 1525-1533.
    10. Giles-Corti, Billie & Bull, Fiona & Knuiman, Matthew & McCormack, Gavin & Van Niel, Kimberly & Timperio, Anna & Christian, Hayley & Foster, Sarah & Divitini, Mark & Middleton, Nick & Boruff, Bryan, 2013. "The influence of urban design on neighbourhood walking following residential relocation: Longitudinal results from the RESIDE study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 20-30.
    11. Lovasi, G.S. & Neckerman, K.M. & Quinn, J.W. & Weiss, C.C. & Rundle, A., 2009. "Effect of individual or neighborhood disadvantage on the association between neighborhood walkability and body mass index," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(2), pages 279-284.
    12. Freedman, Vicki A. & Grafova, Irina B. & Schoeni, Robert F. & Rogowski, Jeannette, 2008. "Neighborhoods and disability in later life," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(11), pages 2253-2267, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Cláudia Jardim Santos & Inês Paciência & Ana Isabel Ribeiro, 2022. "Neighbourhood Socioeconomic Processes and Dynamics and Healthy Ageing: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-26, May.
    2. Rongrong Zhang & Song Liu & Ming Li & Xiong He & Chunshan Zhou, 2021. "The Effect of High-Density Built Environments on Elderly Individuals’ Physical Health: A Cross-Sectional Study in Guangzhou, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-22, September.
    3. Michelle C. Kondo & Jaime M. Fluehr & Thomas McKeon & Charles C. Branas, 2018. "Urban Green Space and Its Impact on Human Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-28, March.
    4. Andreia Teixeira & Ronaldo Gabriel & José Martinho & Irene Oliveira & Mário Santos & Graça Pinto & Helena Moreira, 2023. "Distance to Natural Environments, Physical Activity, Sleep, and Body Composition in Women: An Exploratory Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-20, February.
    5. Marquet, Oriol & Miralles-Guasch, Carme, 2015. "Neighbourhood vitality and physical activity among the elderly: The role of walkable environments on active ageing in Barcelona, Spain," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 24-30.
    6. 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.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hamdi Lemamsha & Chris Papadopoulos & Gurch Randhawa, 2018. "Perceived Environmental Factors Associated with Obesity in Libyan Men and Women," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-16, February.
    2. Kajosaari, Anna & Hasanzadeh, Kamyar & Kyttä, Marketta, 2019. "Residential dissonance and walking for transport," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 134-144.
    3. Md. Kamruzzaman & Simon Washington & Douglas Baker & Wendy Brown & Billie Giles-Corti & Gavin Turrell, 2016. "Built environment impacts on walking for transport in Brisbane, Australia," Transportation, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 53-77, January.
    4. Steffen Andreas Schüle & Gabriele Bolte, 2015. "Interactive and Independent Associations between the Socioeconomic and Objective Built Environment on the Neighbourhood Level and Individual Health: A Systematic Review of Multilevel Studies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(4), pages 1-31, April.
    5. Bradley Bereitschaft, 2017. "Equity in Microscale Urban Design and Walkability: A Photographic Survey of Six Pittsburgh Streetscapes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-20, July.
    6. Amer Habibullah & Nawaf Alhajaj & Ahmad Fallatah, 2022. "One-Kilometer Walking Limit during COVID-19: Evaluating Accessibility to Residential Public Open Spaces in a Major Saudi City," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(21), pages 1-16, October.
    7. Wang, Fenglong & Mao, Zidan & Wang, Donggen, 2020. "Residential relocation and travel satisfaction change: An empirical study in Beijing, China," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 341-353.
    8. Clarke, Philippa J. & Ailshire, Jennifer A. & Nieuwenhuijsen, Els R. & de Kleijn - de Vrankrijker, Marijke W., 2011. "Participation among adults with disability: The role of the urban environment," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(10), pages 1674-1684, May.
    9. Neatt, Kevin & Millward, Hugh & Spinney, Jamie, 2017. "Neighborhood walking densities: A multivariate analysis in Halifax, Canada," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 9-16.
    10. Ryvicker, Miriam & Gallo, William T. & Fahs, Marianne C., 2012. "Environmental factors associated with primary care access among urban older adults," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(5), pages 914-921.
    11. Gao, Jie & Kamphuis, Carlijn B.M. & Helbich, Marco & Ettema, Dick, 2020. "What is ‘neighborhood walkability’? How the built environment differently correlates with walking for different purposes and with walking on weekdays and weekends," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    12. Zhongming Lu & Frank Southworth & John Crittenden & Ellen Dunhum-Jones, 2015. "Market potential for smart growth neighbourhoods in the USA: A latent class analysis on heterogeneous preference and choice," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 52(16), pages 3001-3017, December.
    13. Won, Jaewoong & Lee, Chanam & Forjuoh, Samuel N. & Ory, Marcia G., 2016. "Neighborhood safety factors associated with older adults' health-related outcomes: A systematic literature review," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 165(C), pages 177-186.
    14. 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.
    15. Pengxiang Zhao & Mei-Po Kwan & Suhong Zhou, 2018. "The Uncertain Geographic Context Problem in the Analysis of the Relationships between Obesity and the Built Environment in Guangzhou," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-20, February.
    16. Wen, Ming & Maloney, Thomas N., 2014. "Neighborhood socioeconomic status and BMI differences by immigrant and legal status: Evidence from Utah," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 12(C), pages 120-131.
    17. Botticello, Amanda L. & Chen, Yuying & Tulsky, David S., 2012. "Geographic variation in participation for physically disabled adults: The contribution of area economic factors to employment after spinal cord injury," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(8), pages 1505-1513.
    18. Grafova, Irina B. & Freedman, Vicki A. & Lurie, Nicole & Kumar, Rizie & Rogowski, Jeannette, 2014. "The difference-in-difference method: Assessing the selection bias in the effects of neighborhood environment on health," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 13(C), pages 20-33.
    19. De Vos, Jonas & Ettema, Dick & Witlox, Frank, 2018. "Changing travel behaviour and attitudes following a residential relocation," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 131-147.
    20. De Vos, Jonas & Mouratidis, Kostas & Cheng, Long & Kamruzzaman, Md., 2021. "Does a residential relocation enable satisfying travel?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 188-201.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:102:y:2014:i:c:p:129-137. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.