Adult BMI and Access to Built Environment Resources in a High-Poverty, Urban Geography.
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between BMI and access to built environment resources in a high-poverty, urban geography.



Participants (aged ≥35 years) were surveyed between November 2012 and July 2013 to examine access to common health-enabling resources (grocers, outpatient providers, pharmacies, places of worship, and physical activity resources). Survey data were linked to a contemporaneous census of built resources. Associations between BMI and access to resources (potential and realized) were examined using independent t-tests and multiple linear regression. Data analysis was conducted in 2014-2015.



Median age was 53.8 years (N=267, 62% cooperation rate). Obesity (BMI ≥30) prevalence was 54.9%. BMI was not associated with potential access to resources located nearest to home. Nearly all participants (98.1%) bypassed at least one nearby resource type; half bypassed nearby grocers (realized access >1 mile from home). Bypassing grocers was associated with a higher BMI (p=0.03). Each additional mile traveled from home to a grocer was associated with a 0.9-higher BMI (95% CI=0.4, 1.3). Quality and affordability were common reasons for bypassing resources.



Despite potential access to grocers in a high-poverty, urban region, half of participants bypassed nearby grocers to access food. Bypassing grocers was associated with a higher BMI.
Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. Electronic address: eliztung@uchicago.edu.
Elizabeth L
EL
Tung
Department of Medicine, Section of General Internal Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
Monica E
ME
Peek
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
Jennifer A
JA
Makelarski
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.
Veronica
V
Escamilla
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Medicine-Geriatrics, the MacLean Center on Clinical Medical Ethics, and the Comprehensive Cancer Center; University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; Urban Health Initiative at the University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
Stacy T
ST
Lindau
D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002947:Cities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*