The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #70023

Lindsay McLaren, PhD, C. Jennifer Bow, MGIS, and Penelope Hawe, PhD. Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, G230 Health Sciences Centre, 3330 Hospital Dr. NW, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada, (403) 210-9424, lmclaren@ucalgary.ca

One hypothesis about social inequalities in health is that individuals living in poorer areas may face environmental barriers to a healthy lifestyle. In this study we address this hypothesis by examining whether neighbourhoods characterised by socio-economic disadvantage show greater exposure to fast food restaurants and liquor stores, relative to socio-economically advantaged neighbourhoods in Calgary. Addresses were obtained for all liquor stores and all outlets of four fast food chains (McDonald’s, Burger King, A&W, and Wendy’s) in Calgary, and were geocoded onto a community map of the city. Following the procedure of Reidpath et al. (Health Place 2002;8:141-5), we computed the density of outlets (combined population / number of outlets) for communities combined into income quartiles based on median family income data from the 1996 Canada Census. Results suggested that the wealthiest communities (quartile 4) had a higher density of fast food restaurants than the other communities (quartiles 1-3), with individuals living in the poorest communities having over six times more exposure to fast food restaurants than individuals living in the wealthiest communities. There was little difference in fast food exposure among communities in quartiles 1-3. For liquor stores there was an apparent dose-response relationship, with liquor store density increasing with income quartile. People living in the poorest communities had over three times the exposure to liquor stores as those living in the wealthiest communities. Results are consistent with the position that poorer neighbourhoods may provide more opportunities for unhealthy behaviours, and may thereby contribute to social inequalities in health.

Learning Objectives:

• To recognise the distinction between individual-level and community-level barriers to health behaviours;
• To appreciate the possible contribution of community-level influences on health to social inequalities in health;
• To learn about one procedure for investigating exposure to environmental opportunities for unhealthy behaviours, and its preliminary results in a Canadian city.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.