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Running to the Store? The relationship between neighborhood environments and the risk of obesity

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  • Zick, Cathleen D.
  • Smith, Ken R.
  • Fan, Jessie X.
  • Brown, Barbara B.
  • Yamada, Ikuho
  • Kowaleski-Jones, Lori

Abstract

We expand the search for modifiable features of neighborhood environments that alter obesity risk in two ways. First, we examine residents' access to neighborhood retail food options in combination with neighborhood features that facilitate physical activity. Second, we evaluate neighborhood features for both low income and non-low income neighborhoods (bottom quartile of median neighborhood income versus the top three quartiles). Our analyses use data from the Utah Population Database merged with U.S. Census data and Dun & Bradstreet business data for Salt Lake County, Utah. Linear regressions for BMI and logistic regressions for the likelihood of being obese are estimated using various measures of the individual's neighborhood food options and walkability features. As expected, walkability indicators of older neighborhoods and neighborhoods where a higher fraction of the population walks to work is related to a lower BMI/obesity risk, although the strength of the effects varies by neighborhood income. Surprisingly, the walkability indicator of neighborhoods with higher intersection density was linked to higher BMI/obesity risk. The expected inverse relationship between the walkability indicator of population density and BMI/obesity risk is found only in low income neighborhoods. We find a strong association between neighborhood retail food options and BMI/obesity risk with the magnitude of the effects again varying by neighborhood income. For individuals living in non-low income neighborhoods, having one or more convenience stores, full-service restaurants, or fast food restaurants is associated with reduced BMI/obesity risk, compared to having no neighborhood food outlets. The presence of at least one healthy grocery option in low income neighborhoods is also associated with a reduction in BMI/obesity risk relative to no food outlets. Finally, multiple food options within a neighborhood reduce BMI/obesity risk, relative to no food options, for individuals living in either low-income or non-low neighborhoods.

Suggested Citation

  • Zick, Cathleen D. & Smith, Ken R. & Fan, Jessie X. & Brown, Barbara B. & Yamada, Ikuho & Kowaleski-Jones, Lori, 2009. "Running to the Store? The relationship between neighborhood environments and the risk of obesity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 1493-1500, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:69:y:2009:i:10:p:1493-1500
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    2. Johnston, D.W. & Lordan, G., 2012. "My body is fat and my wallet is thin: The link between weight perceptions, weight control and income," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 12/27, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.
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    11. Zeng, Di & Thomsen, Michael R. & Nayga, Rodolfo M. & Bennett, Judy L., 2019. "Supermarket access and childhood bodyweight: Evidence from store openings and closings," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 78-88.
    12. Michael D. M. Bader & Marnie Purciel & Paulette Yousefzadeh & Kathryn M. Neckerman, 2010. "Disparities in Neighborhood Food Environments: Implications of Measurement Strategies," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 86(4), pages 409-430, October.
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    14. Adriana Dornelles, 2019. "Impact of multiple food environments on body mass index," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(8), pages 1-14, August.
    15. Timothy F. Ledoux & Igor Vojnovic & June Manning Thomas & Kameshwari Pothukuchi, 2017. "Standing in the Shadows of Obesity: The Local Food Environment and Obesity in Detroit," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 108(5), pages 605-624, October.
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    17. Aleck Ostry & Kathryn Morrison, 2010. "A Health and Nutritional Evaluation of Changes in Agriculture in the Past Quarter Century in British Columbia: Implications for Food Security," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 7(6), pages 1-13, June.
    18. Jae Eun Lee & Jung Hye Sung & Mohamad Malouhi, 2015. "Statistical Validation of a Web-Based GIS Application and Its Applicability to Cardiovascular-Related Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    19. Austin Boyle & Charles Barrilleaux & Daniel Scheller, 2014. "Does Walkability Influence Housing Prices?," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 95(3), pages 852-867, September.
    20. Browning, Christopher R. & Cagney, Kathleen A. & Iveniuk, James, 2012. "Neighborhood stressors and cardiovascular health: Crime and C-reactive protein in Dallas, USA," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(7), pages 1271-1279.
    21. Danna Ethan & Corey H. Basch & Sonali Rajan & Lalitha Samuel & Rodney N. Hammond, 2013. "A Comparison of the Nutritional Quality of Food Products Advertised in Grocery Store Circulars of High- versus Low-Income New York City Zip Codes," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-11, December.
    22. Sangeetha Madhavan & Shelley Clark & Sara Schmidt, 2021. "Single mothers coping with food insecurity in a Nairobi slum," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(13), pages 2703-2720, October.
    23. 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.
    24. Jo, Young, 2017. "The Differences in Characteristics Among Households With and Without Obese Children: Findings From USDA’s FoodAPS," Economic Information Bulletin 263089, United States Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.
    25. 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.

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