A longitudinal and cross-sectional examination of the relationship between reasons for choosing a neighbourhood, physical activity and body mass index

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

Research

Chris M Blanchard¹  John C Spence²  Genevieve Selfridge²  Tanya R Berry²  Nicoleta Cutumisu²  Joy Edwards³ 

[1] Department of Medicine, Centre for Clinical Research Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada;Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada;Population and Public Health Portfolio, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada;

关键词: Body Mass Index;    International Physical Activity Questionnaire;    Canadian Community Health Survey;    Body Mass Index Change;    Outdoor Recreation;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1479-5868-7-57

 received in 2010-04-01, accepted in 2010-07-05,  发布年份 2010

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between body mass index and neighborhood walkability, socioeconomic status (SES), reasons for choosing neighborhoods, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, and demographic variables.MethodsTwo studies, one longitudinal and one cross-sectional, were conducted. Participants included adults (n = 572) who provided complete data in 2002 and 2008 and a concurrent sample from 2008 (n = 1164). Data were collected with longitudinal and cross-sectional telephone surveys. Objective measures of neighborhood characteristics (walkability and SES) were calculated using census data and geographic information.ResultsIn the longitudinal study, neighborhood choice for ease of walking and proximity to outdoor recreation interacted with whether participants had moved during the course of study to predict change in BMI over 6 years. Age, change in activity status, and neighborhood SES were also significant predictors of BMI change. Cross-sectionally, neighborhood SES and neighborhood choice for ease of walking were significantly related to BMI as were gender, age, activity level and fruit and vegetable intake.ConclusionsResults demonstrate that placing importance on choosing neighborhoods that are considered to be easily walkable is an important contributor to body weight. Findings that objectively measured neighbourhood SES and neighborhood choice variables contributed to BMI suggest that future research consider the role of neighborhood choice in examining the relationships between the built environment and body weight.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Berry et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2010