title: Associations of perceived neighborhood safety and crime with cardiometabolic risk factors among a population with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: Little is known about how neighborhood crime may relate to health in diabetes patients. We examined associations between individuals' perceptions of neighborhood safety or violent crime and stress, physical activity, body mass index (BMI) or hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in a sample (n=721) of adults (mean age:63) with diabetes. Self-reported neighborhood safety, violent crime, physical activity, and stress were collected and linked to clinical measures of BMI and HbA1c. Approximately 54% and 15% of patients reported neighborhood safety concerns and violent crimes, respectively. Any neighborhood safety concerns (β=1.14, 95% C.I. 0.04-2.24) and violent crime (β=2.04, 95% C.I. 0.34-3.73) were associated with BMI in adjusted analysis. Any violent crime was associated with class II-III obesity (BMI≥35) (OR=1.34, 95% C.I.: 1.02, 1.75). There were no significant associations between neighborhood safety concerns or violent crime with stress, physical activity, or HbA1c. Neighborhood safety is associated with BMI and obesity. Further studies, including longitudinal designs, are needed to study how people with diabetes may be influenced by a sense of poor personal safety in their neighborhoods.
authors.affiliation: University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology, 101 Haviland Hall Berkeley, CA 94720-7358, United States. Electronic address: tamayo@berkeley.edu.
authors.forename: Aracely
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tamayo
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente, Division of Research Oakland, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Karter
authors.affiliation: UC Berkeley, School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology Berkeley, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Mahasin S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Mujahid
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente, Division of Research Oakland, CA, United States.
authors.forename: E Margaret
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Warton
authors.affiliation: Kaiser Permanente, Division of Research Oakland, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Howard H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Moffet
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco, Center for Health and Community San Francisco, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Adler
authors.affiliation: San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, Division of General Internal Medicine, Center for Vulnerable Populations San Francisco, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Dean
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schillinger
authors.affiliation: UC Berkeley, Center for Weight and Health Berkeley, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Bethany
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hendrickson O'Connell
authors.affiliation: UC Berkeley SPH, Community Health and Human Development Berkeley, CA, United States.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Laraia
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D003415:Crime / Q000523:psychology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology; D010465:Perception; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012449:Safety; D014505:Urban Population
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin
keywords: Crime; Diabetes; Neighborhood; Obesity; Safety