IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v158y2016icp61-74.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Neighbourhood effects on body constitution–A case study of Hong Kong

Author

Listed:
  • Low, Chien Tat
  • Lai, Poh Chin
  • Li, Han Dong
  • Ho, Wai Kit
  • Wong, Paulina
  • Chen, Si
  • Wong, Wing Cheung

Abstract

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has long perceived environment as an integral part of the development of body constitution, which is a personal state of health closely related to disease presence. Despite of the ever-growing studies on the clinical effectiveness of TCM and the scientific linking between body constitution and diseases, the geographical influence on body constitution has yet remained an unexplored territory. This study sought to investigate whether the neighbourhood environment is relevant to the composition of body type of a population through statistical multilevel and Geographic Information Systems modelling. The analysis comprised 3277 participants who had completed their body type assessment between 2009 and 2012 inclusive. The multilevel analysis also took simultaneous accounts of both individual-level (gender, age, BMI, type of housing) and area-level (percent greenery, percent road surface, total road intersection, sky view factor, temperature, relative humidity, rainfall and social deprivation index) characteristics to explain geographical variation by body types. Significant random or place effects (p < 0.001) were identified in the multilevel models. The spatial variation of body constitution involved the dynamic interplay between individual and environmental factors. The findings amassed the first scientific indications to back the common belief that place does play a role in the development of body constitution and is worthy of further investigation. By considering spatial and personal attributes simultaneously, the study can yield valuable insights into the patterning of area variation in body constitution and disease presence.

Suggested Citation

  • Low, Chien Tat & Lai, Poh Chin & Li, Han Dong & Ho, Wai Kit & Wong, Paulina & Chen, Si & Wong, Wing Cheung, 2016. "Neighbourhood effects on body constitution–A case study of Hong Kong," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 61-74.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:158:y:2016:i:c:p:61-74
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.04.011
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953616301782
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.04.011?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. Karen Witten & Jamie Pearce & Peter Day, 2011. "Neighbourhood Destination Accessibility Index: A GIS Tool for Measuring Infrastructure Support for Neighbourhood Physical Activity," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 43(1), pages 205-223, January.
    2. Duncan, Craig & Jones, Kelvyn & Moon, Graham, 1993. "Do places matter? A multi-level analysis of regional variations in health-related behaviour in Britain," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 725-733, September.
    3. Low, Chien-Tat & Lai, Poh-Chin & Tse, Wing-Sze Cindy & Tsui, Chung-Kan & Lee, Herman & Hui, Pak-Kwan, 2013. "Exploring tuberculosis by types of housing development," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 77-83.
    4. Diez Roux, A.V., 2001. "Investigating neighborhood and area effects on health," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 91(11), pages 1783-1789.
    5. Merlo, Juan & Viciana-Fernández, Francisco J. & Ramiro-Fariñas, Diego, 2012. "Bringing the individual back to small-area variation studies: A multilevel analysis of all-cause mortality in Andalusia, Spain," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(8), pages 1477-1487.
    6. Kearns, Robin A. & Joseph, Alun E., 1993. "Space in its place: Developing the link in medical geography," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 711-717, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Merlo, Juan & Ohlsson, Henrik & Chaix, Basile & Lichtenstein, Paul & Kawachi, Ichiro & Subramanian, S.V., 2013. "Revisiting causal neighborhood effects on individual ischemic heart disease risk: A quasi-experimental multilevel analysis among Swedish siblings," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 39-46.
    2. Juan Merlo & Philippe Wagner & Nermin Ghith & George Leckie, 2016. "An Original Stepwise Multilevel Logistic Regression Analysis of Discriminatory Accuracy: The Case of Neighbourhoods and Health," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(4), pages 1-31, April.
    3. Bell, Janice F. & Zimmerman, Frederick J. & Almgren, Gunnar R. & Mayer, Jonathan D. & Huebner, Colleen E., 2006. "Birth outcomes among urban African-American women: A multilevel analysis of the role of racial residential segregation," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(12), pages 3030-3045, December.
    4. Cummins, Steven & Curtis, Sarah & Diez-Roux, Ana V. & Macintyre, Sally, 2007. "Understanding and representing 'place' in health research: A relational approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 65(9), pages 1825-1838, November.
    5. Rainham, Daniel & McDowell, Ian & Krewski, Daniel & Sawada, Mike, 2010. "Conceptualizing the healthscape: Contributions of time geography, location technologies and spatial ecology to place and health research," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(5), pages 668-676, March.
    6. Corsi, Daniel J. & Finlay, Jocelyn E. & Subramanian, S.V., 2012. "Weight of communities: A multilevel analysis of body mass index in 32,814 neighborhoods in 57 low- to middle-income countries (LMICs)," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(2), pages 311-322.
    7. Neuwelt, Pat M. & Kearns, Robin A. & Browne, Annette J., 2015. "The place of receptionists in access to primary care: Challenges in the space between community and consultation," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 287-295.
    8. Subramanian, S.V. & Elwert, Felix & Christakis, Nicholas, 2008. "Widowhood and mortality among the elderly: The modifying role of neighborhood concentration of widowed individuals," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(4), pages 873-884, February.
    9. Olsen, Jonathan R. & Thornton, Lukar & Tregonning, Grant & Mitchell, Richard, 2022. "Nationwide equity assessment of the 20-min neighbourhood in the scottish context: A socio-spatial proximity analysis of residential locations," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 315(C).
    10. Chen, Duan-Rung & Wen, Tzai-Hung, 2010. "Socio-spatial patterns of neighborhood effects on adult obesity in Taiwan: A multi-level model," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(6), pages 823-833, March.
    11. Anna-Karin Ivert & Marie Torstensson Levander & Juan Merlo, 2013. "Adolescents' Utilisation of Psychiatric Care, Neighbourhoods and Neighbourhood Socioeconomic Deprivation: A Multilevel Analysis," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(11), pages 1-1, November.
    12. McNeill, Lorna Haughton & Kreuter, Matthew W. & Subramanian, S.V., 2006. "Social Environment and Physical activity: A review of concepts and evidence," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(4), pages 1011-1022, August.
    13. Butler, Danielle C. & Thurecht, Linc & Brown, Laurie & Konings, Paul, 2013. "Social exclusion, deprivation and child health: a spatial analysis of ambulatory care sensitive conditions in children aged 0–4 years in Victoria, Australia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 9-16.
    14. Eleonore M Veldhuizen & Karien Stronks & Anton E Kunst, 2013. "Assessing Associations between Socio-Economic Environment and Self-Reported Health in Amsterdam Using Bespoke Environments," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(7), pages 1-10, July.
    15. Agee, Mark D. & Atkinson, Scott E. & Crocker, Thomas D., 2010. "The Effects of Children's Time Use and Home and Neighborhood Quality on their Body Weight and Cognitive/Behavioral Development," 2010 Annual Meeting, July 25-27, 2010, Denver, Colorado 91713, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    16. De Clercq, B. & Vyncke, V. & Hublet, A. & Elgar, F.J. & Ravens-Sieberer, U. & Currie, C. & Hooghe, M. & Ieven, A. & Maes, L., 2012. "Social capital and social inequality in adolescents’ health in 601 Flemish communities: A multilevel analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(2), pages 202-210.
    17. Völker, Sebastian & Kistemann, Thomas, 2013. "Reprint of: “I'm always entirely happy when I'm here!” Urban blue enhancing human health and well-being in Cologne and Düsseldorf, Germany," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 141-152.
    18. Jue Wang & Mei-Po Kwan & Yanwei Chai, 2018. "An Innovative Context-Based Crystal-Growth Activity Space Method for Environmental Exposure Assessment: A Study Using GIS and GPS Trajectory Data Collected in Chicago," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-24, April.
    19. Kendrick, Denise & Mulvaney, Caroline & Burton, Paul & Watson, Michael, 2005. "Relationships between child, family and neighbourhood characteristics and childhood injury: A cohort study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(9), pages 1905-1915, November.
    20. Erica Ann Felker-Kantor & Colette Cunningham-Myrie & Lisa-Gaye Greene & Parris Lyew-Ayee & Uki Atkinson & Wendel Abel & Pernell Clarke & Simon G Anderson & Katherine P Theall, 2019. "Neighborhood crime, disorder and substance use in the Caribbean context: Jamaica National Drug Use Prevalence Survey 2016," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(11), pages 1-15, November.

    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:158:y:2016:i:c:p:61-74. 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.