IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v75y2012i3p477-481.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Family income and childhood obesity in eight European cities: The mediating roles of Neighborhood characteristics and physical activity

Author

Listed:
  • Evans, Gary W.
  • Jones-Rounds, McKenzie L.
  • Belojevic, Goran
  • Vermeylen, Francoise

Abstract

Utilizing data from the Large Analysis and Review of European Housing and Health Status (LARES) research program conducted by the WHO in eight European cities (Forli, Vilnius, Ferreira do Alentejo, Bonn, Geneva, Angers, Bratislava, Budapest), we examined whether the well-documented inverse correlation between family income and children's BMI might be explained, in part, by access to open green space and ensuing physical activity. We found that household income was inversely related to BMI among 1184 children, ages 6–18 years of age. Utilizing structural equation modeling with statistical controls for age and gender, we found evidence for two indirect paths between household income and BMI. One indirect relationship operates successively through open green space and physical activity. The second path operates through physical activity alone. The child's height and weight as well as level of physical activity were reported by their mother. Open green space was assessed by trained observers' ratings of the area surrounding the child's home. Limitations of the study and implications for better understanding of the ecological context of obesity are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Evans, Gary W. & Jones-Rounds, McKenzie L. & Belojevic, Goran & Vermeylen, Francoise, 2012. "Family income and childhood obesity in eight European cities: The mediating roles of Neighborhood characteristics and physical activity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(3), pages 477-481.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:75:y:2012:i:3:p:477-481
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.03.037
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953612003164
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.03.037?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. Brownson, R.C. & Baker, E.A. & Housemann, R.A. & Brennan, L.K. & Bacak, S.J., 2001. "Environmental and policy determinants of physical activity in the United States," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 91(12), pages 1995-2003.
    2. Coombes, Emma & Jones, Andrew P. & Hillsdon, Melvyn, 2010. "The relationship of physical activity and overweight to objectively measured green space accessibility and use," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(6), pages 816-822, March.
    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. Gwozdz, W. & Reisch, L. & Eiben, G. & Hunsberger, M. & Konstabel, K. & Kovacs, E. & Luszczki, E. & Mazur, A. & Mendl, E. & Saamel, M. & Wolters, M., 2020. "The effect of smileys as motivational incentives on children’s fruit and vegetable choice, consumption and waste: A field experiment in schools in five European countries," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    2. Siril Alm & Svein Ottar Olsen, 2017. "Coping with Time Pressure and Stress: Consequences for Families’ Food Consumption," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 40(1), pages 105-123, March.
    3. Kazakova, Yuliya, 2022. "Maternal employment and childhood obesity in Russia," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    4. Hyytinen, Ari & Lahtonen, Jukka, 2013. "The effect of physical activity on long-term income," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 129-137.

    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. Matthew Dennis & David Barlow & Gina Cavan & Penny A. Cook & Anna Gilchrist & John Handley & Philip James & Jessica Thompson & Konstantinos Tzoulas & C. Philip Wheater & Sarah Lindley, 2018. "Mapping Urban Green Infrastructure: A Novel Landscape-Based Approach to Incorporating Land Use and Land Cover in the Mapping of Human-Dominated Systems," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-25, January.
    2. Jiang, Wenhao & Stickley, Andrew & Ueda, Michiko, 2021. "Green space and suicide mortality in Japan: An ecological study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    3. Rafael A. Alamilla & Navin Kaushal & Silvia M. Bigatti & NiCole R. Keith, 2025. "Comparing Barriers and Facilitators to Physical ActivityAmong Underrepresented Minorities: Preliminary Outcomes from a Mixed-Methods Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(2), pages 1-28, February.
    4. Stafford, Mai & Cummins, Steven & Ellaway, Anne & Sacker, Amanda & Wiggins, Richard D. & Macintyre, Sally, 2007. "Pathways to obesity: Identifying local, modifiable determinants of physical activity and diet," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(9), pages 1882-1897, November.
    5. Michael Lechner & Paul Downward, 2017. "Heterogeneous sports participation and labour market outcomes in England," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 49(4), pages 335-348, January.
    6. Brewer, Mackenzie & Kimbro, Rachel Tolbert, 2014. "Neighborhood context and immigrant children's physical activity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 1-9.
    7. Elliott, Lewis R. & White, Mathew P. & Taylor, Adrian H. & Herbert, Stephen, 2015. "Energy expenditure on recreational visits to different natural environments," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 53-60.
    8. 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.
    9. Mehdi Rezaei & Doohwan Kim & Ahad Alizadeh & Ladan Rokni, 2021. "Evaluating the Mental-Health Positive Impacts of Agritourism; A Case Study from South Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-16, August.
    10. Cerin, Ester & Leslie, Eva & Owen, Neville, 2009. "Explaining socio-economic status differences in walking for transport: An ecological analysis of individual, social and environmental factors," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1013-1020, March.
    11. Victoria Houlden & Scott Weich & João Porto de Albuquerque & Stephen Jarvis & Karen Rees, 2018. "The relationship between greenspace and the mental wellbeing of adults: A systematic review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(9), pages 1-35, September.
    12. Savin, Kimberly L. & Roesch, Scott C. & Oren, Eyal & Carlson, Jordan A. & Allison, Matthew A. & Sotres-Alvarez, Daniela & Sallis, James F. & Jankowska, Marta M. & Talavera, Gregory A. & Rodriguez, Tas, 2022. "Social and built neighborhood environments and blood pressure 6 years later: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos and the SOL CASAS ancillary study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    13. Jinbao Zhao & Wei Deng & Yan Song & Yueran Zhu, 2014. "Analysis of Metro ridership at station level and station-to-station level in Nanjing: an approach based on direct demand models," Transportation, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 133-155, January.
    14. Tashi Dendup & Xiaoqi Feng & Stephanie Clingan & Thomas Astell-Burt, 2018. "Environmental Risk Factors for Developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-25, January.
    15. Trish Muzenda & Maylene Shung-King & Estelle Victoria Lambert & Anna Brugulat Panés & Amy Weimann & Nicole McCreedy & Lambed Tatah & Clarisse Mapa-Tassou & Ishtar Govia & Vincent Were & Tolu Oni, 2022. "Three Growth Spurts in Global Physical Activity Policies between 2000 and 2019: A Policy Document Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-20, March.
    16. Rachel Tolbert Kimbro & Jeanne Brooks-Gunn & Sara McLanahan, 2010. "Neighborhood Context, Poverty, and Urban Children's Outdoor Play," Working Papers 1226, Princeton University, School of Public and International Affairs, Center for Research on Child Wellbeing..
    17. Katie Burford & Leigh Ann Ganzar & Kevin Lanza & Harold W. Kohl & Deanna M. Hoelscher, 2021. "School-Level Economic Disparities in Police-Reported Crimes and Active Commuting to School," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-13, October.
    18. Jones, Benjamin A., 2016. "Work more and play less? Time use impacts of changing ecosystem services: The case of the invasive emerald ash borer," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 49-58.
    19. Ghimire, Ramesh & Ferreira, Susana & Green, Gary T. & Poudyal, Neelam C. & Cordell, H. Ken & Thapa, Janani R., 2017. "Green Space and Adult Obesity in the United States," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 201-212.
    20. Rachael E. Collins & Diano F. Marrone, 2015. "Scared Sick," SAGE Open, , vol. 5(3), pages 21582440156, August.

    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:75:y:2012:i:3:p:477-481. 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.