title: Effects of buffer size and shape on associations between the built environment and energy balance.
abstract: Uncertainty in the relevant spatial context may drive heterogeneity in findings on the built environment and energy balance. To estimate the effect of this uncertainty, we conducted a sensitivity analysis defining intersection and business densities and counts within different buffer sizes and shapes on associations with self-reported walking and body mass index. Linear regression results indicated that the scale and shape of buffers influenced study results and may partly explain the inconsistent findings in the built environment and energy balance literature.
authors.affiliation: Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, 401 Park Dr, 3rd Floor West, Boston, MA 02215, USA. Electronic address: pjames@hsph.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: James
authors.affiliation: Applied Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Drive MSC 7344, Room 3E342, Bethesda, MD 20892-7344, USA. Electronic address: berrigad@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berrigan
authors.affiliation: Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women׳s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Dr, 3rd Floor West, Boston, MA 02215, USA. Electronic address: rejch@channing.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Jaime E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.affiliation: George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University St. Louis, Campus Box 1196, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899, USA. Electronic address: ahipp@brownschool.wustl.edu.
authors.forename: J Aaron
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hipp
authors.affiliation: George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University St. Louis, 660S. Euclid Ave. Campus Box 8109, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. Electronic address: hoehnerc@wudosis.wustl.edu.
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hoehner
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, UCSD, Psychology Department and the Graduate School of Public Health, SDSU, 10111N, Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA. Electronic address: jkerr@ucsd.edu.
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.affiliation: Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, 6120 Executive Boulevard, MSC 7242, Bethesda, MD 20892-7335, USA. Electronic address: jqmajor@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Jacqueline M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Major
authors.affiliation: Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. Electronic address: moka@wudosis.wustl.edu.
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oka
authors.affiliation: Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, 401 Park Dr, 3rd Floor West, Boston, MA 02215, USA. Electronic address: francine.laden@channing.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Francine
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Laden
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D004779:Environment Design / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016138:Walking / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Body mass index; Built environment; Geographic information systems; Spatial uncertainty; Walking