How Does the Built Environment Relate to Body Mass Index and Obesity Prevalence Among Public Housing Residents?
This cross-sectional study examined associations of built environment variables with obesity prevalence and individual BMI among 421 impoverished residents of public housing developments (HD). The findings suggest that male gender and more supportive neighborhoods, with greater resource accessibility, more amenities, greater street connectivity, higher quality physical activity feature ratings, and fewer incivilities, were related to lower obesity prevalence rates and BMI among residents. This study is one of the first to use direct measurements of environmental physical activity resources and then compare those measurements with individual level BMI data.
