The urban built environment and obesity in New York City: a multilevel analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether urban form is associated with body size within a densely-settled city.


METHODS
Cross-sectional analysis using multilevel modeling to relate body mass index (BMI) to built environment resources.


METHODS
Census tracts (n = 1989) within the five boroughs of New York City.


METHODS
Adult volunteers (n = 13,102) from the five boroughs of New York City recruited between January 2000 and December 2002.


METHODS
The dependent variable was objectively-measured BMI. Independent variables included land use mix; bus and subway stop density; population density; and intersection density. Covariates included age, gender, race, education, and census tract-level poverty and race/ethnicity.


METHODS
Cross-sectional multilevel analyses.


RESULTS
Mixed land use (Beta = -.55, p < .01), density of bus stops (Beta = -.01, p < .01) and subway stops (Beta = -.06, p < .01), and population density (Beta = -.25, p < .001), but not intersection density (Beta = -. 002) were significantly inversely associated with BMI after adjustmentfor individual- and neighborhood-level sociodemographic characteristics. Comparing the 90th to the 10th percentile of each built environment variable, the predicted adjusted difference in BMI with increased mixed land use was -. 41 units, with bus stop density was -.33 units, with subway stop density was -.34 units, and with population density was -.86 units.


CONCLUSIONS
BMI is associated with built environment characteristics in New York City.
Rundle
Andrew
A
Mailman School of Public Health, 722 West 168th Street, Room 730, New York, NY 10032, USA. Agr3@columbia.edu
Diez Roux
Ana V
AV
Free
Lance M
LM
Miller
Douglas
D
Neckerman
Kathryn M
KM
Weiss
Christopher C
CC
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011156:Population Density; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*