Food Access Around the Home and Growth in the Body Mass Index of Children Aged 10–18 Years: A Longitudinal Cohort Study

Abstract

ISEE-0877 Background: Recent research on links between the built environment and overweight status has suggested that access to grocery stores or other markets selling fruits and vegetables may prevent unhealthy weight gain. Most of the published literature focuses on adults and uses cross-sectional data. The objective of this study is to examine access to food near homes in relation to the longitudinal growth in the Body Mass Index (BMI) of children. Methods: Children aged 9–10 years (N = 2889) were enrolled across multiple communities in Southern California in 1993 and 1996. Children were followed until age 18 or high school graduation to collect longitudinal information, including annual height and weight measurements. Multilevel growth curve models were used to assess the association between attained BMI levels at age 18 and food access around the home. Results: Within a 500 m network buffer around the home, associations for attained BMI at age 18 were positive for all types food access, including grocery stores, restaurants and the combined sum of both types of food access. These results persisted even after controlling for numerous potential confounding variables at the individual, household, neighborhood, and town levels. Effects were generally larger in girls than in boys. Conclusions: Previous findings from adult studies suggesting a protective effect of grocery stores may not extend to children and adolescents. The only protective effect in this cohort arose from not having any food stores within an easy walking distance of the home.