Table 1. Descriptive statistics for the nation and by region.
| Variables | Nation | South | Northeast | Midwest | West |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dependent Variable | |||||
|
| |||||
| Percent adults obese | 30.3 (4.2) | 32.0 (3.7) | 27.3 (3.8) | 30.6 (2.9) | 25.3 (4.4) |
|
| |||||
| Independent Variables | |||||
| Economic Context | |||||
|
| |||||
| Percent of pop. poor | 15.4 (6.5) | 18.2 (6.8) | 11.5 (3.8) | 12.9 (5.2) | 14.3 (5.5) |
|
| |||||
| Percent of labor force unemployed | 4.1 (1.7) | 4.4 (1.6) | 4.2 (0.9) | 3.8 (2.0) | 4.0 (1.7) |
|
| |||||
| Poor/non-poor segregation | 18.8 (10.8) | 18.4 (9.8) | 27.0 (10.3) | 17.9 (11.0) | 18.0 (11.8) |
|
| |||||
| Healthcare Context | |||||
|
| |||||
| Percent of pop. uninsured | 18.3 (5.8) | 21.3 (5.2) | 11.8 (2.9) | 14.6 (3.6) | 21.1 (4.8) |
|
| |||||
| Number of physicians per 1,000 pop. | 1.5 (1.8) | 1.4 (1.8) | 2.9 (2.9) | 1.3 (1.5) | 1.8 (1.4) |
|
| |||||
| Number of outpatient visits per 1,000 pop. | 2,431.2 (3,323.9) | 1,888.7 (3,205.0) | 3,692.1 (4,009.6) | 2,923.4 (3,530.9) | 2,380.3 (2,286.3) |
|
| |||||
| Recreational Context | |||||
|
| |||||
| Percent of adults physically inactive | 26.9 (4.9) | 29.3 (4.3) | 24.2 (3.7) | 26.5 (3.8) | 21.2 (4.3) |
|
| |||||
| Number of recreation facilities per 1,000 pop. | 0.1 (0.1) | 0.1 (0.1) | 0.1 (0.1) | 0.1 (0.1) | 0.1 (0.1) |
|
| |||||
| Natural amenities (low of 1 to high of 7) | 3.5 (1.0) | 3.6 (0.7) | 3.5 (0.6) | 2.7 (0.7) | 5.0 (1.1) |
|
| |||||
| Food Environment | |||||
|
| |||||
| Percent of pop. living in a food desert | 17.3 (25.5) | 16.1 (23.3) | 7.7 (10.4) | 19.5 (28.5) | 20.6 (28.8) |
|
| |||||
| Number of fast food restaurants per 1,000 pop. | 0.6 (0.3) | 0.6 (0.3) | 0.6 (0.2) | 0.5 (0.3) | 0.6 (0.4) |
| Population Structure | |||||
|
| |||||
| Percent of families headed by single mothers | 9.6 (3.8) | 11.0 (4.2) | 9.5 (2.8) | 8.3 (3.1) | 8.3 (3.2) |
|
| |||||
| Percent of pop. aged 65 and older | 15.4 (4.2) | 14.6 (3.8) | 15.0 (2.5) | 16.7 (4.3) | 14.7 (5.1) |
|
| |||||
| Percent of pop. African American | 8.9 (14.4) | 16.7 (17.8) | 4.7 (6.3) | 2.1 (4.5) | 1.2 (2.0) |
|
| |||||
| Percent of pop. Hispanic | 7.6 (12.8) | 8.7 (14.7) | 5.0 (6.9) | 3.3 (4.9) | 15.9 (16.6) |
|
| |||||
| Metropolitan | 0.4 (0.5) | 0.4 (0.5) | 0.6 (0.5) | 0.3 (0.4) | 0.3 (0.5) |
|
| |||||
| Micropolitan | 0.2 (0.4) | 0.2 (0.4) | 0.2 (0.4) | 0.2 (0.4) | 02 (0.4) |
|
| |||||
| Noncore | 0.4 (0.5) | 0.4 (0.5) | 0.2 (0.4) | 0.5 (0.5) | 0.5 (0.5) |
|
| |||||
| Educational Level | |||||
|
| |||||
| Percent of adults less than high school | 17.1 (7.3) | 21.6 (7.0) | 12.5 (3.6) | 13.3 (4.8) | 13.6 (6.1) |
|
| |||||
| High obesity (%) | 15.8 | 30.3 | 0.0 | 5.8 | 0.0 |
|
| |||||
| Low obesity (%) | 13.5 | 2.4 | 40.6 | 2.6 | 65.7 |
|
| |||||
| N | 3,109 | 1,423 | 217 | 1,055 | 414 |
Notes: Pop. is an abbreviation for “population.” Mean (standard deviation).