Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Proceedings of the AMIA Symposium logoLink to Proceedings of the AMIA Symposium
. 2002:459–463.

A spatial analysis of obesogenic environments for children.

Gilbert C Liu 1, Cynthia Cunningham 1, Stephen M Downs 1, David G Marrero 1, Naomi Fineberg 1
PMCID: PMC2244277  PMID: 12463866

Abstract

In this study, we use spatial analysis techniques to explore environmental and social predictors of obesity in children. We constructed a merged database, incorporating clinical data from an electronic medical record system, the Regenstrief Medical Record System (RMRS) and societal & environmental data from a geographical information system, the Social Assets and Vulnerabilities Indicators (SAVI) Project. We used the RMRS to identify cohorts of children that were normal weight, overweight, or obese. The RMRS records were geocoded and merged into the SAVI database. Using the merged databases, we analyzed the relationships between markers of socioeconomic status and obesity outcomes in children. Our preliminary analyses show that markers of low socioeconomic status at the census tract level correlate with both overweight and obese outcomes in our study population. Utilization of geographic information systems (GIS) for the study of health epidemiology is discussed.

Full text

PDF
459

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Andersen R. E. The spread of the childhood obesity epidemic. CMAJ. 2000 Nov 28;163(11):1461–1462. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Braddon F. E., Rodgers B., Wadsworth M. E., Davies J. M. Onset of obesity in a 36 year birth cohort study. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1986 Aug 2;293(6542):299–303. doi: 10.1136/bmj.293.6542.299. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bundred P., Kitchiner D., Buchan I. Prevalence of overweight and obese children between 1989 and 1998: population based series of cross sectional studies. BMJ. 2001 Feb 10;322(7282):326–328. doi: 10.1136/bmj.322.7282.326. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Eckel R. H., Krauss R. M. American Heart Association call to action: obesity as a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. AHA Nutrition Committee. Circulation. 1998 Jun 2;97(21):2099–2100. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.97.21.2099. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Egger G., Swinburn B. An "ecological" approach to the obesity pandemic. BMJ. 1997 Aug 23;315(7106):477–480. doi: 10.1136/bmj.315.7106.477. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Epstein L. H., Paluch R. A., Gordy C. C., Dorn J. Decreasing sedentary behaviors in treating pediatric obesity. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2000 Mar;154(3):220–226. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.154.3.220. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Flegal K. M., Carroll M. D., Kuczmarski R. J., Johnson C. L. Overweight and obesity in the United States: prevalence and trends, 1960-1994. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1998 Jan;22(1):39–47. doi: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0800541. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Freedman D. S., Dietz W. H., Srinivasan S. R., Berenson G. S. The relation of overweight to cardiovascular risk factors among children and adolescents: the Bogalusa Heart Study. Pediatrics. 1999 Jun;103(6 Pt 1):1175–1182. doi: 10.1542/peds.103.6.1175. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Garrow J. S. Should obesity be treated? Treatment is necessary. BMJ. 1994 Sep 10;309(6955):654–655. doi: 10.1136/bmj.309.6955.654. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Gidding S. S., Leibel R. L., Daniels S., Rosenbaum M., Van Horn L., Marx G. R. Understanding obesity in youth. A statement for healthcare professionals from the Committee on Atherosclerosis and Hypertension in the Young of the Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young and the Nutrition Committee, American Heart Association. Writing Group. Circulation. 1996 Dec 15;94(12):3383–3387. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.94.12.3383. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Goran M. I., Gower B. A. Relation between visceral fat and disease risk in children and adolescents. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Jul;70(1):149S–156S. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/70.1.149s. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gortmaker S. L., Must A., Perrin J. M., Sobol A. M., Dietz W. H. Social and economic consequences of overweight in adolescence and young adulthood. N Engl J Med. 1993 Sep 30;329(14):1008–1012. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199309303291406. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Gortmaker S. L., Must A., Sobol A. M., Peterson K., Colditz G. A., Dietz W. H. Television viewing as a cause of increasing obesity among children in the United States, 1986-1990. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1996 Apr;150(4):356–362. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1996.02170290022003. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hill J. O., Peters J. C. Environmental contributions to the obesity epidemic. Science. 1998 May 29;280(5368):1371–1374. doi: 10.1126/science.280.5368.1371. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Serdula M. K., Ivery D., Coates R. J., Freedman D. S., Williamson D. F., Byers T. Do obese children become obese adults? A review of the literature. Prev Med. 1993 Mar;22(2):167–177. doi: 10.1006/pmed.1993.1014. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Stunkard A., Burt V. Obesity and the body image. II. Age at onset of disturbances in the body image. Am J Psychiatry. 1967 May;123(11):1443–1447. doi: 10.1176/ajp.123.11.1443. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Stunkard A., Mendelson M. Obesity and the body image. 1. Characteristics of disturbances in the body image of some obese persons. Am J Psychiatry. 1967 Apr;123(10):1296–1300. doi: 10.1176/ajp.123.10.1296. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Trent M. E., Ludwig D. S. Adolescent obesity, a need for greater awareness and improved treatment. Curr Opin Pediatr. 1999 Aug;11(4):297–302. doi: 10.1097/00008480-199908000-00005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Troiano R. P., Flegal K. M., Kuczmarski R. J., Campbell S. M., Johnson C. L. Overweight prevalence and trends for children and adolescents. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 1963 to 1991. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1995 Oct;149(10):1085–1091. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1995.02170230039005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Van Horn L., Greenland P. Prevention of coronary artery disease is a pediatric problem. JAMA. 1997 Dec 3;278(21):1779–1780. doi: 10.1001/jama.278.21.1779. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Webber L. S., Osganian V., Luepker R. V., Feldman H. A., Stone E. J., Elder J. P., Perry C. L., Nader P. R., Parcel G. S., Broyles S. L. Cardiovascular risk factors among third grade children in four regions of the United States. The CATCH Study. Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health. Am J Epidemiol. 1995 Mar 1;141(5):428–439. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a117445. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Wolf A. M., Colditz G. A. Current estimates of the economic cost of obesity in the United States. Obes Res. 1998 Mar;6(2):97–106. doi: 10.1002/j.1550-8528.1998.tb00322.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Wooley S. C., Garner D. M. Dietary treatments for obesity are ineffective. BMJ. 1994 Sep 10;309(6955):655–656. doi: 10.1136/bmj.309.6955.655. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the AMIA Symposium are provided here courtesy of American Medical Informatics Association

RESOURCES