title: A closer examination of the relationship between children's weight status and the food and physical activity environment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Conflicting findings on associations between food and physical activity (PA) environments and children's weight status demand attention in order to inform effective interventions. We assess relationships between the food and PA environments in inner-city neighborhoods and children's weight status and address sources of conflicting results of prior research.
  
  
  METHODS
  Weight status of children ages 3-18 was assessed using parent-measured heights and weights. Data were collected from 702 children living in four low-income cities in New Jersey between 2009 and 2010. Proximity of a child's residence to a variety of food and PA outlets was measured in multiple ways using geo-coded data. Multivariate analyses assessed the association between measures of proximity and weight status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant associations were observed between children's weight status and proximity to convenience stores in the 1/4 mile radius (OR = 1.9) and with presence of a large park in the 1/2 mile radius (OR = 0.41). No associations were observed for other types of food and PA outlets.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Specific aspects of the food and PA environments are predictors of overweight and obese status among children, but the relationships and their detection are dependent upon aspects of the geospatial landscape of each community.
authors.affiliation: School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA. pohrivac@asu.edu
authors.forename: Punam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ohri-Vachaspati
authors.forename: Kristen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lloyd
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Delia
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tulloch
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Yedidia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009515:New Jersey; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014504:Urban Health; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Body mass index; Childhood obesity; Food environment; Food outlets; Geo-spatial measures of proximity; Overweight; Physical activity environment; Physical activity outlets; Weight outcome