Explaining Obesity with Urban Form: A Cautionary Tale

This paper highlights data-processing, model-specification, and model-estimation factors that should be comprehensively considered in studies exploring associations between the built environment and obesity. Empirical results based on data from Atlanta illustrate that the association between the built environment and obesity is sensitive to how age, income, and educational attainment are included in the model. A detailed examination of land-use-mix measures also shows that it is difficult to create this measure and that results are sensitive to the treatment of missing values. Models that distinguish between overweight and obese individuals are shown to provide richer insights into the associations among obesity, built environment, and sociodemographic characteristics.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-007-9148-2
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00494488
• Authors:
  • Bodea, Tudor D
  • Garrow, Laurie A
  • Meyer, Michael D
  • Ross, Catherine
• Publication Date: 2008-3

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 179-199
• Serial:
  • Transportation
  • Volume: 35
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: Springer
  • ISSN: 0049-4488
  • EISSN: 1572-9435
  • Serial URL: http://link.springer.com/journal/11116

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Built environment; Demographics; Empirical methods; Information processing; Land use; Mathematical models; Obesity; Socioeconomic factors
• Geographic Terms: Atlanta (Georgia)
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01091356
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 23 2008 9:22AM