Green Neighborhoods, Food Retail and Childhood Overweight: Differences by Population Density
Abstract
Purpose.: This study examines relationships between overweight in children and two environmental factors—amount of vegetation surrounding a child's place of residence and proximity of the child's residence to various types of food retail locations. We hypothesize that living in greener neighborhoods, farther from fast food restaurants, and closer to supermarkets would be associated with lower risk of overweight. Design.: Cross-sectional study. Setting.: Network of primary care pediatric clinics in Marion County, Indiana. Subjects.: We acquired data for 7334 subjects, ages 3 to 18 years, presenting for routine well-child care. Measures.: Neighborhood vegetation and proximity to food retail were calculated using geographic information systems for each subject using circular and network buffers. Child weight status was defined using body mass index percentiles. Analysis.: We used cumulative logit models to examine associations between an index of overweight, neighborhood vegetation, and food retail environment. Results.: After controlling for individual socio-demographics and neighborhood socioeconomic status, measures of vegetation and food retail significantly predicted overweight in children. Increased neighborhood vegetation was associated with decreased risk for overweight, but only for subjects residing in higher population density regions. Increased distance between a subject's residence and the nearest large brand name supermarkets was associated with increased risk of overweight, but only for subjects residing in lower population density regions. Conclusions.: This research suggests that aspects of the built environment are determinants of child weight status, ostensibly by influencing physical activity and dietary behaviors.
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Seven cross-sectional studies in adults and children found greater accessibility to neighborhood supermarkets was associated with lower prevalence of adiposity; 1 county-level ecological study did not.
“Seven cross-sectional studies in both adults and children found that greater accessibility to neighborhood supermarkets (presence, number, or distance) was associated with lower prevalence of adiposity290–297; 1 county-level (ecological) study did not.298”
From Population Approaches to Improve Diet, Physical Activity, and Smoking Habits: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2012) · cites this paper as [293]
Most studies did not find any significant relation between neighborhood accessibility to fast-food restaurants and prevalence of adiposity in either adults or children.
“Most did not find any significant relation between neighborhood accessibility (number, distance, or density) to fast-food restaurants and prevalence of adiposity in either adults or children.173,291,293, 294,299,303–305”
From Population Approaches to Improve Diet, Physical Activity, and Smoking Habits: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2012) · cites this paper as [293]
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- Authors
- Liu, G. C., Wilson, J. S., Qi, R., & Ying, J.
- Affiliations
- Indiana University School of Medicine (US)
- Corresponding author
- Liu, Gilbert C.
- Venue
- American Journal of Health Promotion
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2007-03
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 4_suppl
- Pages
- 317-325
- ISSN
- 0890-1171 (ISSN-L)
- 2168-6602
- OpenAlex
- W2120313818
- Cited by
- 255
- References
- 53
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 18
- FWCI
- 11.51
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Health Promotion (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis › Urban Green Space and Health
- Social Sciences › Transportation › Urban Transport and Accessibility
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Keywords
- childhood overweight, neighborhood greenness, built environment, fast food restaurants, supermarkets, population density, child weight status, physical activity, dietary behavior
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Child, Child Behavior, Child, Preschool, Commerce, Cross-Sectional Studies, Demography, Environment Design, Feeding Behavior, Female, Food Supply, Geography, Health Promotion, Humans, Indiana, Male, Plants, Population Density, Residence Characteristics, Risk Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, Overweight
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