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Pediatrics

Neighborhood built environment typologies and adiposity in children and adolescents

International Journal of Obesity volume 46, pages 588–596 (2022)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background/Objectives

Neighborhoods are complex, multidimensional systems. However, the interrelation between multiple neighborhood dimensions is seldom considered in relation to youth adiposity. We created a neighborhood typology using a range of built environment features and examined its association with adiposity in youth.

Subjects/Methods

Analyses are based on data from the QUALITY cohort, an ongoing study on the natural history of obesity in Quebec youth with a history of parental obesity. Adiposity was measured at baseline (8–10 years) and follow up, ~8 years later. Neighborhood features were measured at baseline through in-person neighborhood assessments and geocoded administrative data and were summarized using principal components analysis. Neighborhood types were identified using cluster analysis. Associations between neighborhood types and adiposity were examined using multivariable linear regressions.

Results

Five distinct neighborhood types characterized by levels of walkability and traffic-related safety were identified. At ages 8–10 years, children in moderate walkability/low safety neighborhoods had higher BMI Z-scores [β: 0.41 (0.12; 0.71), p = 0.007], fat mass index [β: 1.22 (0.29; 2.16), p = 0.010], waist circumference [β: 4.92 (1.63; 8.21), p = 0.003], and central fat mass percentage [β: 1.60 (0.04; 3.16), p = 0.045] than those residing in moderate walkability/high safety neighborhoods. Attenuated associations were observed between neighborhood types and adiposity 8 years later. Specifically, residents of moderate walkability/low safety neighborhoods had a higher FMI [β: 1.42 (−0.07; 2.90), p = 0.062], and waist circumference [β: 5.04 (−0.26; 10.34), p = 0.062].

Conclusions

Neighborhoods characterized by lower traffic safety appear to be the most obesogenic to children, regardless of other walkability-related features. Policies targeting neighborhood walkability for children may need to prioritize vehicular traffic safety.

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Fig. 1: Flowchart of study participants, QUALITY cohort study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Tracie A. Barnett & Adrian E. Ghenadenik

  2. Centre de recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Tracie A. Barnett & Melanie Henderson

  3. Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Andraea Van Hulst

  4. Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Equity, Public Health Agency of Canada, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Gisele Contreras

  5. Centre de Recherche en Santé Publique (CReSP), Montreal, QC, Canada

    Yan Kestens

  6. École de santé publique de l’Université de Montréal, Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Yan Kestens & Melanie Henderson

  7. Sorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d’Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Paris, France

    Basile Chaix

  8. Institut National de la recherche scientifique, Centre Urbanisation Culture Société, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Marie-Soleil Cloutier

  9. Department of Pediatrics, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Melanie Henderson

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Contributions

TAB funded the QUALITY Neighborhood study, conceived of the study design, oversaw the data collection, literature search, analytic approach, interpretation of findings, and drafting of the manuscript. AG performed analyses and contributed to the writing of the manuscript. AVH helped with the conception of the design and specific study aims, oversaw data collection, guided analyses, and contributed to the interpretation of findings. GC contributed to analyses, wrote portions of the manuscript, and contributed to the interpretation of findings. YK provided spatial data and contributed to the interpretation of findings. BC contributed to the analytic approach and to the interpretation of findings. MSC contributed to the study design conception, data collection, and interpretation of findings. MH is PI of the QUALITY study and is responsible for all individual data; she also contributed to the interpretation of study findings. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Tracie A. Barnett.

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Barnett, T.A., Ghenadenik, A.E., Van Hulst, A. et al. Neighborhood built environment typologies and adiposity in children and adolescents. Int J Obes 46, 588–596 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-021-01010-1

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