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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Barbara Berney, PhD, MPH, Urban Public Health, Hunter College, 425 E 25th St, New York, NY 10010, 212 481 5165, bberney@hunter.cuny.edu and Jackson Sekhobo, PhD, MPA, Dept of Community Health and Social Medicine, Sophie Davis School, CCNY, 138th St & Convent Ave, New York, NY 10031.

This study examines the relationship of physical infrastructure and food availability to obesity in New York City neighborhoods. The model used posits that physical and social infrastructure in communities affect the opportunities and willingness of residents to engage in physical activity and to purchase and consume healthy food and suggests that the physical characteristics of low-income neighborhoods in urban areas provide less opportunity for physical activity and adequate diet. The dependent variable in this study will be body mass index (BMI)-defined obesity. Independent variables will include access to and quality of venues for physical activity, neighborhood safety and deterioration, availability of healthy and unhealthy food, and SES and demographic variables. The research will answer the following questions: Do opportunities/barriers for physical activity correlate with race and SES of neighborhoods? Do those opportunities/barriers correlate with reported levels of physical activity? Do reported levels of physical activity correlate with prevalence of obesity after controlling for neighborhood socioeconomic status? How does the availability of fresh fruit and vegetable markets and fast food correlate with race and SES of neighborhood? How does the availability of fresh fruit and vegetable markets and fast food correlate with prevalence of obesity after controlling for neighborhood status? Does community occupational structure or community collective efficacy correlate with reported physical activity and obesity prevalence? The study will include univariate and multivariate regression analyses on the relationship between the dependent and independent variables.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Identify underlying social and physical environmental factors that mediate the ability of individuals to adopt and adhere to healthy eating habits and engage in adequate physical activity.
• Prioritize public policies that can change neighborhood level aspects of the built environment associated with obesity.

Keywords: Urban Health, Obesity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No