Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, TRW 3rd Floor, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4Z6, Canada.
Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan.
Can J Public Health. 2021 Feb;112(1):166-174. doi: 10.17269/s41997-020-00365-8. Epub 2020 Jul 22.
Neighbourhood characteristics can impact the health of residents. This study investigated associations between objectively derived neighbourhood characteristics, including novel space syntax metrics, and self-reported body mass index (BMI) among Canadian men and women.
Our study included survey data collected from a random cross-section of adults residing in Calgary, Alberta (n = 1718). The survey, conducted in 2007/2008, captured participants' socio-demographic characteristics, health, and weight status (BMI). Participants' household postal codes were geocoded and 1600-m line-based network buffers estimated. Using a geographical information system, we estimated neighbourhood characteristics within each buffer including business destination density, street intersection density, sidewalk length, and population density. Using space syntax, we estimated street integration and walkability (street integration plus population density) within each buffer. Using adjusted regression models, we estimated associations between neighbourhood characteristics and BMI (continuous) and BMI categories (healthy weight vs. overweight including obese). Gender-stratified analysis was also performed.
Business destination density was negatively associated with BMI and the odds of being overweight. Among men, street intersection density and sidewalk length were negatively associated with BMI and street intersection density, business destination density, street integration, and space syntax walkability were negatively associated with odds of being overweight. Among women, business destination density was negatively associated with BMI.
Urban planning policies that impact neighbourhood design have the potential to influence weight among adults living in urban Canadian settings. Some characteristics may have a differential association with weight among men and women and should be considered in urban planning and in neighbourhood-focussed public health interventions.
邻里特征会影响居民的健康。本研究调查了客观得出的邻里特征（包括新颖的空间句法指标）与加拿大男性和女性自我报告的体重指数（BMI）之间的关联。
我们的研究包括从艾伯塔省卡尔加里随机抽取的成年人的调查数据（n=1718）。该调查于 2007/2008 年进行，收集了参与者的社会人口统计学特征、健康状况和体重状况（BMI）。参与者的家庭邮政编码被地理编码，并估算了 1600 米的线状网络缓冲区。使用地理信息系统，我们估算了每个缓冲区的邻里特征，包括商业目的地密度、街道交叉口密度、人行道长度和人口密度。使用空间句法，我们估算了每个缓冲区的街道连通性和可步行性（街道连通性加人口密度）。使用调整后的回归模型，我们估计了邻里特征与 BMI（连续变量）和 BMI 类别（健康体重与超重，包括肥胖）之间的关联。还进行了性别分层分析。
商业目的地密度与 BMI 和超重的几率呈负相关。在男性中，街道交叉口密度和人行道长度与 BMI 呈负相关，街道交叉口密度、商业目的地密度、街道连通性和空间句法可步行性与超重几率呈负相关。在女性中，商业目的地密度与 BMI 呈负相关。
影响邻里设计的城市规划政策有可能影响生活在加拿大城市环境中的成年人的体重。一些特征可能与男性和女性的体重存在差异关联，因此在城市规划和以邻里为重点的公共卫生干预中应予以考虑。
