title: The built environment and childhood obesity in Durham, North Carolina.
abstract: The relationship between childhood obesity and aspects of the built environment characterizing neighborhood social context is understudied. This study evaluates the association between 7 built environment domains and childhood obesity in Durham, North Carolina. Measures of housing damage, property disorder, vacancy, nuisances, and territoriality were constructed using data from a 2008 community assessment. Renter-occupied housing and crime measures were developed from public databases. The authors linked these measures to 2008-2009 Duke University Medical Center pediatric preventive care visits. Age- and sex-specific body mass index percentiles were used to classify children as normal weight (>5th and ≤85th percentile), overweight (>85th and ≤95th percentile), or obese (>95th percentile). Ordinal logistic regression models with cluster-corrected standard errors evaluated the association between weight status and the built environment. Adjusting for child-level socioeconomic characteristics, nuisances and crime were associated with childhood overweight/obesity (P < .05). Built environment characteristics appear important to childhood weight status in Durham, North Carolina.
authors.affiliation: School of Natural Resources and Environment and Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. mlmirand@umich.edu
authors.forename: Marie Lynn
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Miranda
authors.forename: Sharon E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Anthopolos
authors.forename: Diana H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Dolinsky
authors.forename: Alex R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kemper
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D004777:Environment; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009657:North Carolina; D012111:Residence Characteristics