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- Title
Linking Childhood Obesity to the Built Environment: A Multi-level Analysis of Home and School Neighbourhood Factors Associated With Body Mass Index.
- Authors
Gilliland, Jason A.; Rangel, Claudia Y.; Healy, Martin A.; Tucker, Patricia; Loebach, Janet E.; Hess, Paul M.; Meizi He; Irwin, Jennifer D.; Wilk, Piotr
- Abstract
Objectives: This study examines environmental factors associated with BMI (body mass index) levels among adolescents with the aim of identifying potential interventions for reducing childhood obesity. Methods: Students (n=1,048) aged 10-14 years at 28 schools in London, ON, completed a survey providing information on age, sex, height, weight, home address, etc., which was used to construct age-sex adjusted BMI z-scores. The presence of recreation opportunities, fast-food outlets and convenience stores was assessed using four areal units around each participant's home and school neighbourhood: "circular buffers" encompassing territory within a straight-line distance of 500 m and 1000 m; and "network buffers" of 500 m and 1000 m measured along the street network. School neighbourhoods were also assessed using school-specific "walksheds". Multilevel structural equation modeling techniques were employed to simultaneously test the effects of school-environment (Level 2) and home-environment (Level 1) predictors on BMI z-scores. Results: Most participants (71%) had a normal BMI, 16.9% were overweight, 7.6% were obese, and 4.6% were considered underweight. Multilevel analyses indicated that built environment characteristics around children's homes and schools had a modest but significant effect on their BMI. The presence of public recreation opportunities within a 500 m network distance of home was associated with lower BMI z-scores (p<0.05), and fast-food outlets within the school walkshed was associated with higher BMI z-scores (p<0.05). Conclusion: Interventions and policies that improve children's access to publicly provided recreation opportunities near home and that mitigate the concentration of fast-food outlets close to schools may be key to promoting healthy lifestyles and reducing childhood obesity.
- Publication
Canadian Journal of Public Health, 2012, Vol 103, Issue S3, pS15
- ISSN
0008-4263
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/bf03403830