title: Obesogenic neighborhood environments, child and parent obesity: the Neighborhood Impact on Kids study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Identifying neighborhood environment attributes related to childhood obesity can inform environmental changes for obesity prevention.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate child and parent weight status across neighborhoods in King County (Seattle metropolitan area) and San Diego County differing in GIS-defined physical activity environment (PAE) and nutrition environment (NE) characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Neighborhoods were selected to represent high (favorable) versus low (unfavorable) on the two measures, forming four neighborhood types (low on both measures, low PAE/high NE, high PAE/low NE, and high on both measures). Weight and height of children aged 6-11 years and one parent (n=730) from selected neighborhoods were assessed in 2007-2009. Differences in child and parent overweight and obesity by neighborhood type were examined, adjusting for neighborhood-, family-, and individual-level demographics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children from neighborhoods high on both environment measures were less likely to be obese (7.7% vs 15.9%, OR=0.44, p=0.02) and marginally less likely to be overweight (23.7% vs 31.7%, OR=0.67, p=0.08) than children from neighborhoods low on both measures. In models adjusted for parent weight status and demographic factors, neighborhood environment type remained related to child obesity (high vs low on both measures, OR=0.41, p<0.03). Parents in neighborhoods high on both measures (versus low on both) were marginally less likely to be obese (20.1% vs 27.7%, OR=0.66, p=0.08), although parent overweight did not differ by neighborhood environment. The lower odds of parent obesity in neighborhoods with environments supportive of physical activity and healthy eating remained in models adjusted for demographics (high vs low on the environment measures, OR=0.57, p=0.053).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings support the proposed GIS-based definitions of obesogenic neighborhoods for children and parents that consider both physical activity and nutrition environment features.
authors.affiliation: Seattle Children's Research Institute, Washington 98145-5005, USA. brian.saelens@seattlechildrens.org
authors.forename: Brian E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Saelens
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Sallis
authors.forename: Lawrence D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Sarah C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Couch
authors.forename: Chuan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Trina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Colburn
authors.forename: Kelli L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Cain
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Glanz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D004777:Environment; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010290:Parents; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012931:Social Environment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D016138:Walking; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology