Health Disparities
Exploring the Association Between Perceived Neighborhood Environment and Overweight and Obesity in Adolescents: Findings from the National Health Interview Survey Yangyang Deng* Yangyang Deng Mohammad Moniruzzaman Breanna Rogers Lu Hu Ram Jagannathan Kosuke Tamura
PURPOSE: Despite the effects of neighborhood contexts on adolescents’ overweight and obesity, limited research has explored how their perceptions of neighborhood characteristics affect overweight/obesity. We aimed to examine the associations between perceived neighborhood environments and adolescents’ overweight/obesity and whether these associations varied by age, sex, and racial/ethnic groups.
METHODS: Data (n=4,099; female=48.5%; Mage=14.2 years) were obtained from 2020-2022 National Health Interview Survey. Overweight and obesity status was defined as BMI≥25.0 kg/m2 (Yes/No). Perceived neighborhood features (Yes/No) included unsafe walking conditions due to traffic and crime, and availability of parks. Analyses were stratified by age groups (10-14 and 15-17 years), sex, and racial and ethnic groups. Weighted generalized logistic regression was used to examine the relationships between each factor and overweight/obesity, adjusting for age, sex, racial/ethnic groups, region, and survey year, stratified by age, sex, and racial/ethnic groups.
RESULTS: Adolescents who reported the presence of sidewalks and the availability of parks had a 29% (OR=0.79, 95% CI 0.58–0.88) and 15% (OR=0.85, 95% CI 0.72–0.99) lower odds of being overweight/obese, respectively, compared to the ones who did not. Those reporting unsafe traffic conditions and high crime rates had a 28% (OR=1.28, 95% CI 1.09–1.51) and 43% (OR=1.43, 95% CI 1.15–1.79) higher odds of being overweight/obese, respectively. Similar patterns of associations were consistent across age and sex groups, while analyses by race/ethnicity revealed more complex relationships.
CONCLUSION: Adolescents with favorable perception of sidewalks and parks had lower prevalence of overweight/obesity, while perceptions of unsafe traffic or higher crime had an increased prevalence. Improving neighborhood physical and social environmental characteristics may be critical for addressing disparities in adolescents’ overweight/obesity.