Built Environment Associations with Adiposity Parameters among Overweight and Obese Hispanic Youth.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to establish neighborhood built environment correlates of adiposity as measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The utility and methodological gains of using this measure for built environment research was further investigated by comparing model fit across parallel models on BMI z-scores and waist circumference.


METHODS
Pre-existing data collected from 2001-2001 on 576 overweight and obese Hispanic youth were compiled with built environment data, and 2000 Census data for analyses conducted in 2012. Walking-distance buffers were built around participants' residential locations. Variables for park space, food access, walkability, and neighborhood socio-cultural aspects were entered into a multivariate regression model predicting percent body fat. Parallel models were built for BMI z-score, and waist circumference.


RESULTS
Significant associations were found between percent body fat and supermarket access for boys, and percent body fat and increased park space and decreased neighborhood linguistic isolation for girls. Neighborhood socio-cultural characteristics accounted for more variance in obesity compared to BMI z-score or waist circumference.


CONCLUSIONS
Park access, food environment, and neighborhood socio-cultural characteristics are independent contributors to body fat in children, and the contribution of these risks differs by gender. There are incremental gains to using a more accurate measure of body fat in built environment obesity studies.
Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway Street, 3 Floor, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Stephanie
S
Hsieh
Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway Street, 3 Floor, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA ; Department of Community Health and Prevention, Drexel University School of Public Health, 3215 Market Street, Room 435, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Ann C
AC
Klassen
Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Suite E6541, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Frank C
FC
Curriero
Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Suite W2041, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Laura E
LE
Caulfield
Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 624 N. Broadway Street, 3 Floor, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA ; Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 550 N. Broadway, Suite 1001, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Lawrence J
LJ
Cheskin
Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Texas, Austin 103 W. 24 Street, PAI 3.26, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
Jaimie N
JN
Davis
Department of Physiology & Biophysics, Department of Pediatrics, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, 2250 Alcazar, Room 212, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
Michael I
MI
Goran
Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, 1200 North State Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
Marc J
MJ
Weigensberg
Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, Center for Social and Economic Research, University of Southern California, 635 Downey Way, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Donna
D
Spruijt-Metz