title: Green Space and Child Weight Status: Does Outcome Measurement Matter? Evidence from an Australian Longitudinal Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether neighbourhood green space is beneficially associated with (i) waist circumference (WC) and (ii) waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) across childhood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Gender-stratified multilevel linear regressions were used to examine associations between green space and objective measures of weight status in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, a nationally representative source of data on 4,423 children aged 6 y to 13 y. WC and WtHR were measured objectively. Percentage green space within the local area of residence was calculated. Effect modification by age was explored, adjusting for socioeconomic confounding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to peers with 0-5% green space locally, boys and girls with >40% green space tended to have lower WC (β boys  -1.15, 95% CI -2.44, 0.14; β girls  -0.21, 95% CI -1.47, 1.05) and WtHR (β boys  -0.82, 95% CI -1.65, 0.01; β girls  -0.32, 95% CI -1.13, 0.49). Associations among boys were contingent upon age (p  valuesage∗green  space < 0.001) and robust to adjustment for socioeconomic variables. The benefits of greener neighbourhoods appeared from age 7, with mean WC and WtHR for boys aged 13 y with >40% green space at 73.85 cm and 45.75% compared to those with 0-5% green space at 75.18 cm and 46.62%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Greener neighbourhoods appear beneficial to alternative child weight status measures, particularly among boys.
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.
authors.forename: Taren
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia ; School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2722, Australia ; Menzies Centre for Health Policy, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia ; Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Xiaoqi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia.
authors.forename: Paul P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Fahey
authors.affiliation: Institute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University, Strathfield, NSW 2135, Australia.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lonsdale
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia ; School of Geography and Geosciences, University of St Andrews, North Street, St Andrews KY16 9AL, UK.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Astell-Burt
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001827:Body Height; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D004777:Environment; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011998:Recreation / Q000502:physiology*; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D014504:Urban Health