EBSCO Logo
Connecting you to content on EBSCOhost
Results
Title

Associations of neighborhood social cohesion and changes in BMI—The Maastricht Study.

Authors

Chan, Jeffrey A; Koster, Annemarie; Lakerveld, Jeroen; Schram, Miranda T; Greevenbroek, Marleen van; Bosma, Hans

Abstract

The role of the social environment can facilitate positive health outcomes through active community engagement, normalization of healthy behaviors, and stress buffering. We aim to examine the associations of neighborhood social cohesion with changes in BMI over time. A total of 7641 participants from The Maastricht Study between the ages of 40 and 75 years were analyzed. Weight and height were measured at baseline, and weight was self-reported annually up to 10 years of follow-up (median = 4.7 years). Perceived social cohesion was obtained by questionnaire. Home addresses for each participant were linked to geographic information system data from the Geoscience and Health Cohort Consortium to create neighborhood exposure variables including area level social cohesion, neighborhood walkability, and food environment within a 1000 m Euclidian buffer. Linear regression analyses were performed with BMI adjusted for socioeconomic variables. A mixed model analysis was carried out to examine changes in BMI. Living in the highest quartile area of individually perceived social cohesion was associated with lower BMI (Q4 B: −.53; 95% CI = −.79, −.28) compared to the lowest quartile. Similar findings were discovered using the area level measure (Q4 B: −.97; 95% CI = −1.29, −.65). There was no longitudinal association between social cohesion and BMI. Neighborhood social cohesion was associated with lower BMI classifying it as an obesogenic area characteristic that influences weight, independent of conventional built environment features.

Subjects

CROSS-sectional method; BODY mass index; RESEARCH funding; RESIDENTIAL patterns; SOCIAL cohesion; BODY weight; QUESTIONNAIRES; SOCIOECONOMIC factors; POPULATION geography; STATURE; SURVEYS; HEALTH behavior; CONFIDENCE intervals; TIME; BUILT environment; REGRESSION analysis

Publication

European Journal of Public Health, 2024, Vol 34, Issue 5, p949

ISSN

1101-1262

Publication type

Academic Journal

DOI

10.1093/eurpub/ckae109

EBSCO Connect | Privacy policy | Terms of use | Copyright | Manage my cookies
Journals | Subjects | Sitemap
© 2025 EBSCO Industries, Inc. All rights reserved