title: Healthy food availability and the association with BMI in Baltimore, Maryland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the association between the availability of healthy foods and BMI by neighbourhood race and socio-economic status (SES).
  
  
  METHODS
  Trained staff collected demographic information, height, weight and 24 h dietary recalls between 2004 and 2008. Healthy food availability was determined in thirty-four census tracts of varying racial and SES composition using the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey-Stores in 2007. Multilevel linear regression was used to estimate associations between healthy food availability and BMI.
  
  
  METHODS
  Baltimore City, Maryland, USA.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults aged 30-64 years (n 2616) who participated in the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among individuals living in predominantly white neighbourhoods, high availability of healthy foods was associated with significantly higher BMI compared with individuals living in neighbourhoods with low availability of healthy food after adjustment for demographic variables (β = 3.22, P = 0.001). Associations were attenuated but remained significant after controlling for dietary quality (β = 2.81, P = 0.012).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Contrary to expectations, there was a positive association between the availability of healthy food and higher BMI among individuals living in predominantly white neighbourhoods. This result could be due to individuals in neighbourhoods with low healthy food availability travelling outside their neighbourhood to obtain healthy food.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA. scasagrande@s-3.com
authors.forename: Sarah Stark
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Casagrande
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gittelsohn
authors.forename: Alan B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Zonderman
authors.forename: Michele K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fanelli Kuczmarski
authors.forename: Tiffany L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Gary-Webb
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging; D015142:Baltimore; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004032:Diet; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply; D058870:Food, Organic; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055361:Multilevel Analysis; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D057566:Self Report; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People