Abstract
BackgroundThe recent increase in childhood obesity is expected to add significantly to the prevalence of chronic diseases. We used multivariate multilevel analysis to examine associations between parks/green space and childhood overweight/obesity across communities in Calgary, Canada, a city characterized by intensified urban sprawl and high car use.MethodsBody Mass Index was calculated from measured height and weight data obtained from 6,772 children (mean age = 4.95 years) attending public health clinics for pre-school vaccinations. Each child's home postal code was geocoded using ESRI ArcGIS 9.2. We examined four measures of spatial access to parks/green space (based on Geographic Information Systems): 1) the number of parks/green spaces per 10,000 residents, 2) the area of parks/green space as a proportion of the total area within a community, 3) average distance to a park/green space, and 4) the proportion of parks/green space service area as a proportion of the total area within a community. Analyses were adjusted for dissemination area median family income (as a proxy for an individual child's family income) community-level education, and community-level proportion of visible minorities.ResultsIn general, parks/green space at the community level was not associated with overweight/obesity in Calgary, with the exception of a marginally significant effect whereby a moderate number of parks/green spaces per 10,000 residents was associated with lower odds of overweight/obesity. This effect was non-significant in adjusted analyses.ConclusionOur null findings may reflect the popularity of car travel in Calgary, Canada and suggest that the role built environment characteristics play in explaining health outcomes may differ depending on the type of urban environment being studied.
Highlights
The recent increase in childhood obesity is expected to add significantly to the prevalence of chronic diseases
The aim of this study is to examine the association between spatial access to parks/green space, measured in four different ways, and childhood overweight/obesity in the specific context of Calgary, Canada
We examined the associations between four measures of spatial access to parks/green space at the community level and childhood overweight/obesity in Calgary, Canada
Summary
The recent increase in childhood obesity is expected to add significantly to the prevalence of chronic diseases. The public health literature has seen an increasing number of studies investigating the relationship between various attributes of place and the health of populations [1,2,3,4,5]. There has been growing interest in understanding the role of residential environments in enhancing and constraining physical activity and influencing obesity[8]. This is relevant considering evidence of a notable increase in the prevalence of obesity in Canadian children over recent decades[9,10]. Increased childhood BMI, which often tracks into adulthood, has an important influence on adult morbidity, notably for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers[12]
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