Obesity Prevalence Among Adults Living in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Counties - United States, 2016.

Terry O’Toole,Sohyun Park,Liping Pan,Kevin Matthews,Elizabeth A Lundeen,Heidi M Blanck

doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6723a1

Abstract

Approximately 46 million persons (14%) in the United States live in nonmetropolitan counties.* Compared with metropolitan residents, nonmetropolitan residents have a higher prevalence of obesity-associated chronic diseases such as diabetes (1), coronary heart disease (1), and arthritis (2). The 2005-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found a significantly higher obesity prevalence among adults in nonmetropolitan (39.6%) than in metropolitan (33.4%) counties (3). However, this difference has not been examined by state. Therefore, CDC examined state-level 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data and found that the prevalence of obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m2) was 34.2% among U.S. adults living in nonmetropolitan counties and 28.7% among those living in metropolitan counties (p<0.001). Obesity prevalence was significantly higher among nonmetropolitan county residents than among metropolitan county residents in all U.S. Census regions, with the largest absolute difference in the South (5.6 percentage points) and Northeast (5.4 percentage points). In 24 of 47 states, obesity prevalence was significantly higher among persons in nonmetropolitan counties than among those in metropolitan counties; only in Wyoming was obesity prevalence higher among metropolitan county residents than among nonmetropolitan county residents. Both metropolitan and nonmetropolitan counties can address obesity through a variety of policy and environmental strategies to increase access to healthier foods and opportunities for physical activity (4).

Highlights

Highlights approaches to increase the purchase, supply, and demand of fruits and vegetables in states and communities across the United States.*** Other approaches include working with schools and worksites to develop nutrition-related policies and forming strong partnerships with groups such as the Cooperative Extension Service to promote federal food and nutrition assistance program benefits [9]
Strategies to increase physical activity in rural areas should take into consideration geographic dispersion, transportation challenges, and limitations on community resources that might not be present in urban areas [10]
Strategies that have been implemented in rural settings include improving community access to public buildings after hours for physical activity purposes; improving infrastructure and land use design to support walking and other physical activity; promoting existing places for physical activity with improved signage; enhancing physical education in schools; and implementing worksite policies to promote physical activity [10]

Summary

Introduction

Highlights approaches to increase the purchase, supply, and demand of fruits and vegetables in states and communities across the United States.*** Other approaches include working with schools and worksites to develop nutrition-related policies and forming strong partnerships with groups such as the Cooperative Extension Service to promote federal food and nutrition assistance program benefits [9].

Results

Conclusion