You are where you shop: grocery store locations, weight, and neighborhoods.
BACKGROUND
Residents in poor neighborhoods have higher body mass index (BMI) and eat less healthfully. One possible reason might be the quality of available foods in their area. Location of grocery stores where individuals shop and its association with BMI were examined.


METHODS
The 2000 U.S. Census data were linked with the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Study (L.A.FANS) database, which consists of 2620 adults sampled from 65 neighborhoods in Los Angeles County between 2000 and 2002. In 2005, multilevel linear regressions were used to estimate the associations between BMI and socioeconomic characteristics of grocery store locations after adjustment for individual-level factors and socioeconomic characteristics of residential neighborhoods.


RESULTS
Individuals have higher BMI if they reside in disadvantaged areas and in areas where the average person frequents grocery stores located in more disadvantaged neighborhoods. Those who own cars and travel farther to their grocery stores also have higher BMI. When controlling for grocery store census tract socioeconomic status (SES), the association between residential census tract SES and BMI becomes stronger.


CONCLUSIONS
Where people shop for groceries and distance traveled to grocery stores are independently associated with BMI. Exposure to grocery store mediates and suppresses the association of residential neighborhoods with BMI and could explain why previous studies may not have found robust associations between residential neighborhood predictors and BMI.
Inagami
Sanae
S
Veterans Affairs Health Services and Research Development, VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, Division of General Internal Medicine, Los Angeles, California 90073, USA. sinagami@ucla.edu
Cohen
Deborah A
DA
Finch
Brian Karl
BK
Asch
Steven M
SM
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003132:Commerce / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000145:classification*; D012923:Social Class