Food and Park Environments: Neighborhood-level Risks for Childhood Obesity in East Los Angeles

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.10.021

Journal of Adolescent Health

Volume 40, Issue 4, April 2007, Pages 325-333

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.10.021 Get rights and content

Abstract

Purpose

The rapid increase in obesity over the past two decades suggests that behavioral and environmental influences, including poor nutrition and physical inactivity, are fueling what is now widely recognized as a public health crisis. Yet, limited research has been conducted to examine how environmental factors, such as neighborhood-level characteristics, may be associated with increased risk for obesity.

Methods

Community-level risk associated with childhood obesity was examined in East Los Angeles, a community with one of the highest rates of childhood obesity in Los Angeles by triangulating: 1) spatial data for the number and location of food establishments relative to the location of schools; 2) observations regarding the availability and quality of fruits and vegetables in local grocery stores; and 3) observations regarding the quality and utilization of local parks.

Results

The findings revealed that there were 190 food outlets in the study community, of which 93 (49%) were fast-food restaurants. Of the fast-food restaurants, 63% were within walking distance of a school. In contrast, there were 62 grocery stores, of which only 18% sold fresh fruits and/or vegetables of good quality. Of the stores that did sell fruits and/or vegetables, only four were within walking distance of a school. Although well maintained, the five parks in this community accounted for only 37.28 acres, or 0.543 acres per 1000 residents.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that children have easy access to fast food, and limited access to both healthy food options and parks in which to engage in physical fitness activities. This was particularly true in areas around schools. The implications for these findings with regards to policy-related prevention and future research are discussed.

Section snippets

Study community

The research was conducted in East Los Angeles, defined by the boundaries of a single zip code, which closely mirror residents’ own perceptions of the natural boundaries of this neighborhood [37]. According to the U.S. Census, East Los Angeles has a land area of 4.4 square miles. It is home to 68,688 residents, of which 61,983 or 95% are Hispanic. Of those residents who are 18 years and older, 41% have attained less than a ninth grade education, 23% attended high school but did not obtain a

Spatial analyses of food establishments

As summarized in Table 1, there were a total of 190 food outlets in the study community, of which 93 (49%) were fast-food restaurants, 23 (12%) were bakery, donut, cookie, ice cream, or convenience stores, 12 (6%) were a fish or meat store, and 62 (32%) were grocery stores, of which five were supermarkets. As presented in Figure 1, the majority of these food outlets, including both fast-food and other food outlets, were located along two major boulevards that intersect at the heart of the study

Discussion

There are many reasons to be concerned about the increasing prevalence of obesity; of primary concern is the fact that obese children are significantly more likely to become obese adults, particularly if obesity is present during adolescence, and the epidemic of obesity is closely linked to the rise in type 2 diabetes. Although it was previously found almost exclusively among adults, diabetes is now one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. If current estimates hold true, one in

Acknowledgments

This study was funded by the WK Keck Foundation. The authors wish to acknowledge the contributions of the many staff members who contributed to this project: Francisca Angulo Olaiz, Ph.Dc., Jabar Akbar, Adriana Armenta, Samika Bowick, Leo Castillo, Turusew Gedebu-Wilson, R.D., M.S., Mandy Graves, R.D., M.P.H., Tamika Lewis, M.S.W., Donna Luebbe, and Lucy Montoya.

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Original articleFood and Park Environments: Neighborhood-level Risks for Childhood Obesity in East Los Angeles

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Section snippets

Study community

Spatial analyses of food establishments

Discussion

Acknowledgments

J Nutr

Health Place

Am J Prev Med

J Nutr Educ Behav

J Am Diet Assoc

Am J Prev Med

Public Health

Am J Prev Med

Am J Prev Med

Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance

Prevalence and trends in overweight among US children and adolescents, 1999–2000

JAMA

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among US children, adolescents, and adults, 1999–2002

JAMA

A five-year trend of increasing obesity among elementary schoolchildren in multiethnic, low-income, inner-city neighborhoods in Montreal, Canada

Int J Obes

L.A. Health: Obesity on the Rise

Childhood overweight: a contextual model and recommendations for future research

Obes Rev

Obesity in children and young people: a crisis in public health

Obes Rev

Fast food restaurant use among women in the Pound of Prevention study: dietary, behavioral and demographic correlates

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Inequality in the built environment underlies key health disparities in physical activity and obesity

Pediatrics

Does where you live predict health related behaviours?: a case study in Glasgow

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Cardiovascular risk factors and the neighbourhood environment: a multilevel analysis

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Original article
Food and Park Environments: Neighborhood-level Risks for Childhood Obesity in East Los Angeles