IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2023i16p6602-d1220125.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Neighborhood Social Environment and Body Mass Index: The Mediating Role of Mental Wellbeing

Author

Listed:
  • Shayna D. Cunningham

    (Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT 06032, USA)

  • Jennifer Mandelbaum

    (Department of Community Health, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA)

  • Fatma M. Shebl

    (Medical Practice Evaluation Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
    Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA)

  • Mark Abraham

    (DataHaven, New Haven, CT 06511, USA)

  • Kathleen O’Connor Duffany

    (Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA)

Abstract

The association between neighborhood-built environment and body mass index (BMI) is well-characterized, whereas fewer studies have explored the mechanisms underlying the relationship between neighborhood social environment and obesogenic behaviors. Using data from a random sample of 16,820 residents ≥18 years from all 169 Connecticut towns and seven ZIP Codes in New York, this study examines the influence of neighborhood social environment on residents’ mental wellbeing, physical activity, and BMI. Structural equation modeling was conducted to estimate direct and indirect effects of neighborhood social environment on BMI, using mental wellbeing and physical activity as intermediate variables. There were significant total [β(SE) = 0.741 (0.170), p < 0.0001], direct [β(SE) = 0.456 (0.1890), p = 0.016], and indirect [β(SE) = 0.285 (0.061), p < 0.0001] effects of neighborhood social environment on BMI. Low physical activity was a partial mediator of the effect of non-favorable neighborhood social environment on BMI [β(SE) = −0.071 (0.011), p < 0.0001]. The association between neighborhood social environment and BMI was also mediated by mental wellbeing [β(SE) = 0.214 (0.060), p < 0.0001], and by mental wellbeing through physical activity [β(SE) = 0.071 (0.011), p < 0.0001]. Study findings provide further support for building strong social environments to improve population health and suggest that strategies prioritizing mental wellbeing may benefit behavioral interventions aimed at reducing obesity risk and should be a focus of prevention efforts in and of itself.

Suggested Citation

  • Shayna D. Cunningham & Jennifer Mandelbaum & Fatma M. Shebl & Mark Abraham & Kathleen O’Connor Duffany, 2023. "Neighborhood Social Environment and Body Mass Index: The Mediating Role of Mental Wellbeing," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(16), pages 1-12, August.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:16:p:6602-:d:1220125
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/16/6602/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/16/6602/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. 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.
    2. Christopher Barrington-Leigh & Jan T. Wollenberg, 2019. "Informing Policy Priorities using Inference from Life Satisfaction Responses in a Large Community Survey," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 14(4), pages 911-924, September.
    3. 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.
    4. Kim, Daniel & Subramanian, S.V. & Gortmaker, Steven L. & Kawachi, Ichiro, 2006. "US state- and county-level social capital in relation to obesity and physical inactivity: A multilevel, multivariable analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(4), pages 1045-1059, August.
    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. Santana, Paula & Santos, Rita & Nogueira, Helena, 2009. "The link between local environment and obesity: A multilevel analysis in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(4), pages 601-609, February.
    2. Ball, Kylie & Cleland, Verity J. & Timperio, Anna F. & Salmon, Jo & Giles-Corti, Billie & Crawford, David A., 2010. "Love thy neighbour? Associations of social capital and crime with physical activity amongst women," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(4), pages 807-814, August.
    3. Fiorillo, Damiano & Sabatini, Fabio, 2015. "Structural social capital and health in Italy," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 17(C), pages 129-142.
    4. Baron-Epel, Orna & Weinstein, Ruth & Haviv-Mesika, Amalia & Garty-Sandalon, Noga & Green, Manfred S., 2008. "Individual-level analysis of social capital and health: A comparison of Arab and Jewish Israelis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 66(4), pages 900-910, February.
    5. Huikari, Sanna & Junttila, Hanna & Ala-Mursula, Leena & Jämsä, Timo & Korpelainen, Raija & Miettunen, Jouko & Svento, Rauli & Korhonen, Marko, 2021. "Leisure-time physical activity is associated with socio-economic status beyond income – Cross-sectional survey of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 study," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    6. Fiorillo, Damiano & Sabatini, Fabio, 2011. "Quality and quantity: The role of social interactions in self-reported individual health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(11), pages 1644-1652.
    7. Caspi, Caitlin E. & Kawachi, Ichiro & Subramanian, S.V. & Tucker-Seeley, Reginald & Sorensen, Glorian, 2013. "The social environment and walking behavior among low-income housing residents," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 76-84.
    8. Yumie Kanamori & Ayako Ide-Okochi & Tomonori Samiso, 2023. "Factors Related to Physical Activity among Older Adults Who Relocated to a New Community after the Kumamoto Earthquake: A Study from the Viewpoint of Social Capital," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-15, February.
    9. Boqin Xie & Chenjuan Ma & Junqiao Wang, 2020. "Independent and Combined Relationships of Perceived Neighborhood Social Cohesion and Physical Frailty on Functional Disability in Community-Dwelling Older Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(16), pages 1-12, August.
    10. Hanibuchi, Tomoya & Murata, Yohei & Ichida, Yukinobu & Hirai, Hiroshi & Kawachi, Ichiro & Kondo, Katsunori, 2012. "Place-specific constructs of social capital and their possible associations to health: A Japanese case study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(1), pages 225-232.
    11. Fredrica Nyqvist & Bernd Pape & Tony Pellfolk & Anna Forsman & Kristian Wahlbeck, 2014. "Structural and Cognitive Aspects of Social Capital and All-Cause Mortality: A Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 116(2), pages 545-566, April.
    12. Tyler Prochnow & Meg Patterson & M. Renée Umstattd Meyer & Joseph Lightner & Luis Gomez & Joseph Sharkey, 2022. "Conducting Physical Activity Research on Racially and Ethnically Diverse Adolescents Using Social Network Analysis: Case Studies for Practical Use," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-16, September.
    13. Pabayo, Roman & Belsky, Jay & Gauvin, Lise & Curtis, Sarah, 2011. "Do area characteristics predict change in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity from ages 11 to 15 years?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(3), pages 430-438, February.
    14. Masoud Vaezghasemi & Ann Öhman & Malin Eriksson & Mohammad Hakimi & Lars Weinehall & Hari Kusnanto & Nawi Ng, 2014. "The Effect of Gender and Social Capital on the Dual Burden of Malnutrition: A Multilevel Study in Indonesia," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(8), pages 1-10, August.
    15. Badland, Hannah & Whitzman, Carolyn & Lowe, Melanie & Davern, Melanie & Aye, Lu & Butterworth, Iain & Hes, Dominique & Giles-Corti, Billie, 2014. "Urban liveability: Emerging lessons from Australia for exploring the potential for indicators to measure the social determinants of health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 64-73.
    16. Shima Hamidi, 2020. "Urban sprawl and the emergence of food deserts in the USA," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 57(8), pages 1660-1675, June.
    17. Stephanie A. Prince & Elizabeth A. Kristjansson & Katherine Russell & Jean-Michel Billette & Michael Sawada & Amira Ali & Mark S. Tremblay & Denis Prud’homme, 2011. "A Multilevel Analysis of Neighbourhood Built and Social Environments and Adult Self-Reported Physical Activity and Body Mass Index in Ottawa, Canada," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-26, October.
    18. Murayama, Hiroshi & Wakui, Tomoko & Arami, Reiko & Sugawara, Ikuko & Yoshie, Satoru, 2012. "Contextual effect of different components of social capital on health in a suburban city of the greater Tokyo area: A multilevel analysis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(12), pages 2472-2480.
    19. Dhaval Dave & Drew McNichols & Joseph J. Sabia, 2022. "Political violence, risk aversion, and population health: Evidence from the US Capitol riot," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 35(4), pages 1345-1384, October.
    20. Miquel Pans & Joaquin Madera & Luís-Millan González & Maite Pellicer-Chenoll, 2021. "Physical Activity and Exercise: Text Mining Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-11, September.

    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:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:16:p:6602-:d:1220125. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.