The Association between Obesity and Urban Food Environments

Bodor, J. Nicholas; Rice, Janet C.; Farley, Thomas A.; Swalm, Chris M.; Rose, Donald

doi:10.1007/s11524-010-9460-6

Cited by 217 publications

(188 citation statements)

References 38 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

165

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…A similar pattern of distribution of food resources has been found in both developed and developing country context. Bodor et al (2010) 40 found that in New Orleans, households tended to have much greater number of small food stores and convenience foods in their neighborhoods than supermarkets. Similarly, in other urban poor communities in Africa such as informal settlements in black South Africa, Micklesfield et al (2013) 41 report that informal food vendors who sell less varied and inexpensive food of poor quality are the most convenient places to obtain out-of-home cooked food.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Local Food Environment and Body Mass Index among the Urban Poor in Accra, Ghana

Dake

Thompson

et al. 2016

J Urban Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Obesity in the sub-Saharan Africa region has been portrayed as a problem of affluence, partly because obesity has been found to be more common in urban areas and among the rich. Recent findings, however, reveal rising prevalence among the poor particularly the urban poor. A growing body of literature mostly in Western countries shows that obesity among the poor is partly the result of an obesogenic-built environment. Such studies are lacking in the African context. This study examines the characteristics of the local food environment in an urban poor setting in Accra, Ghana and further investigates the associated risk of obesity for residents. Data on the local food environment was collected using geographic positioning system (GPS) technology. The body mass indices (BMI) of females (15-49 years) and males (15-59 years) were calculated from measured weight and height. Data on the socio-demographic characteristics and lifestyle behaviors of respondents was also collected through a household survey. Spatial analysis tools were used to examine the characteristics of the local food environment while the influence of the food environment on BMI was examined using a twolevel multilevel model. The measures of the food environment constituted the level 2 factors while individual socio-demographic characteristics and lifestyle behaviors constituted the level 1 factors. The local food environment in the study communities is suggestive of an obesogenic food environment characterized by an abundance of out-of-home cooked foods, convenience stores, and limited fruits and vegetables options. The results of the multilevel analysis reveal a 0.2 kg/m 2 increase in BMI for every additional convenience store and a 0.1 kg/m 2 reduction in BMI for every out-of-home cooked food place available in the study area after controlling for individual socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviors, and community characteristics. The findings of this study indicate that the local food environment in urban poor Accra is associated with increased risk of obesity through providing access to convenience stores. In order to reduce the risk of obesity in these urban poor communities, there is the need to regulate the availability of and access to convenience stores while also encouraging healthier offerings in convenience stores.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Local Food Environment and Body Mass Index among the Urban Poor in Accra, Ghana

Dake

Thompson

et al. 2016

J Urban Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Proximity to convenience stores is related to overweight/obesity/poor diet. 6 Also, we measured access by distance alone. In fact, material and social attributes other than proximity affect retail access and healthy behaviors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Retail Redlining in New York City: Racialized Access to Day-to-Day Retail Resources

et al. 2012

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Racial residential segregation is associated with health inequalities in the USA, and one of the primary mechanisms is through influencing features of the neighborhood physical environment. To better understand how Black residential segregation might contribute to health risk, we examined retail redlining; the inequitable distribution of retail resources across racially distinct areas. A combination of visual and analytic methods was used to investigate whether predominantly Black census block groups in New York City had poor access to retail stores important for health. After controlling for retail demand, median household income, population density, and subway ridership, percent Black was associated with longer travel distances to various retail industries. Our findings suggest that Black neighborhoods in New York City face retail redlining. Future research is needed to determine how retail redlining may perpetuate health disparities and socioeconomic disadvantage. Racial residential segregation is thought to be the foundation on which Black-White disparities in health status have been built. 42 Three primary mechanisms through which segregation operates include: (1) the concentration of poverty, (2) constrained access to economic and educational opportunity structures, and (3) neighborhood social and physical environments, including housing quality and the distribution of amenities and retail resources. 16,24,34,35,41,42 These pathways create economic, social, and physical contexts that determine the likelihood of conditions that foster, support, or sustain health.One of the primary constituents of a healthy neighborhood is the provision of public or private services that support people in their daily lives. 21 Public or private services include education, transportation, health care, and retail services. These services, along with the reputation of an area, are important neighborhood features. Reputation influences how areas are perceived by residents, service planners and investors, and in turn, availability of services. 21 Black segregated neighborhoods Kwate and Saldana are with the

show abstract

“…Furthermore, another study conducted to determine the relationship between urban food environments and obesity in adults [17]. Data for this study was collected through telephonic interviews in which the participants were asked about their body weight and also individual characteristics were collected.…”

Section: Food Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lastly, there could be number of other factors that showed the difference in obesity odds that were unobserved. It could be neighbourhood poor walkability or high crime rates that could have affected the physical activity levels of participants and in turn the weight status [17].…”

Section: Food Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social and Physical Determinants of Obesity in Adults

Brahmbhatt¹

2017

AOWMC

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Obesity is one of the major health concerns in the United States. Obesity in turn leads to many other chronic health problems like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many more. This review was done on the social and physical factors that contribute to the obesity epidemic. Social factors that were included in this review were financial stress, post traumatic stress, sleep, marriage and health literacy. Physical factors that were reviewed here were physical activity, natural environment, food environment, worksite settings, pregnancy and genetics. The data was collected from government organizations like National Institute of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Also, peer reviewed articles were selected based on the relevance to this review from the last five years (2011 to 2015). The result of this review was that these social and physical factors were significantly contributing to the major health problem, obesity. Overall, there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of obesity among adults in United States and this review sheds some light on the factors responsible for it.

show abstract

The Association between Obesity and Urban Food Environments

Cited by 217 publications

References 38 publications

The Local Food Environment and Body Mass Index among the Urban Poor in Accra, Ghana

The Local Food Environment and Body Mass Index among the Urban Poor in Accra, Ghana

Retail Redlining in New York City: Racialized Access to Day-to-Day Retail Resources

Social and Physical Determinants of Obesity in Adults

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About