Longitudinal Influences of Neighbourhood Built and Social Environment on Children’s Weight Status

Maria Gose,Bianca Willié,Manfred Müller,Maike Johannsen,Sandra Plachta-Danielzik,Beate Landsberg

doi:10.3390/ijerph10105083

Abstract

The objective was to examine longitudinal 4-year-relationships between neighbourhood social environment and children’s body mass index-standard deviation score (BMI-SDS) taking into account the built environment. Furthermore, we have analysed the influence of potential interactions between the social environment and family/social data on children’s BMI-SDS. Between 2006–2008 and 2010–2012, anthropometric measurements were conducted among 485 children (age at baseline: 6.1 (5.8–6.4)). Socio-demographic characteristics and perception of residential environment were reported by parents. Geographic Information Systems were used to examine street length, number of food outlets and distance to the nearest playground and park/green space within an 800 m Euclidian buffer of each participant address point. Additional data on neighbourhood characteristics (e.g., traffic density, walkability, crime rates) were obtained from the State Capital of Kiel, Germany. In a multivariate model, walkability, street type, socioeconomic status of the district and perceived frequency of passing trucks/busses were associated with BMI-SDS over 4 years, but only neighbourhood SES had an effect on change in BMI-SDS. However, familial/social factors rather than neighbourhood environment (especially social environment) had an impact on children’s BMI-SDS over 4 years. Thus, social inequalities in childhood overweight are only partially explained by social neighbourhood environment.

Highlights

Besides biological factors, individual behavior as well as familial and social factors add to explain childhood obesity [1]
There were no significant differences in baseline body mass index-standard deviation score (BMI-SDS) and socio-demographic parameters between children who participated in follow-up and children who did not
Children who were excluded from analysis had a higher body mass index (BMI)-SDS at baseline and had more often a “non-German” nationality and low educated parents compared with children who were included

Summary

Introduction

Individual behavior as well as familial and social factors add to explain childhood obesity [1]. Human ecological approaches assume that human behaviour is influenced by individual and interpersonal factors and by interactions with the environment [2]. The number of studies exploring the association between obesity and the microenvironmental setting “neighbourhood” (geographic area where residents share proximity and circumstances [4,5]) has grown rapidly. These studies suggested that the neighbourhood environment affects energy balance by facilitating and hindering physical activity and healthy eating. Other authors could not find any statistical relationships between the neighbourhood environment and children’s overweight, diet and physical activity, respectively [9,10,11,12]

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion