title: The built environment and risk of obesity in the United States: racial-ethnic disparities.
abstract: Using data from the 2003-2008 waves of the continuous National Health Nutrition Examination Survey merged with the 2000 census and GIS-based data, this study conducted genderspecific analyses to explore whether neighborhood built environment attributes are significant correlates of obesity risk and mediators of obesity disparities by race-ethnicity. Results indicate that the built environment is a significant correlate of obesity risk but is not much of a mediator of obesity disparities by race-ethnicity. Neighborhood walkability, density, and distance to parks are significant covariates of obesity risks net of individual and neighborhood controls. Gender differences are found for some of these associations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology, University of Utah, 380 S 1530 E Rm 301, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, United States. ming.wen@soc.utah.edu
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kowaleski-Jones
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004779:Environment Design / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D016138:Walking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult; D001741:Black or African American