Table 1.
Examples of environmental context variables that may increase risks of developing obesity and decrease responsiveness to interventions in racial/ethnic minority populations and other priority populations
| Environment | Food-related variables | Physical activity–related variables |
|---|---|---|
| Physical environments that influence inequities in access to and uptake of healthy eating and physical activity options | Limited access to full-service supermarkets | Heavy traffic |
| Numerous fast-food outlets | Poor air quality | |
| Prominent advertisements for high-sugar, high-fat foods inside of stores and outdoors | Lack of pedestrian and cycling pathways | |
| Limited availability of fresh fruits and vegetables | Concern about crime | |
| Provision of high-fat, high-sugar foods in schools, workplaces, and other community settings | Limited access to high-quality parks and recreation centers | |
| Lack of public transportation | Lack of safe and appealing school playgrounds | |
| Economic environments that influence inequities in access to and uptake of healthy eating and physical activity options | Unemployment or unstable employment | Costs of private gyms |
| Low income and few opportunities for wealth building | Marketing of digital devices and other sedentary forms of entertainment | |
| Costs of healthier foods and promotion of less healthy foods at low cost | Limited local investment in parks and recreational facilities | |
| Limited funds available for school meals | Lack of funds to hire trained physical education teachers in schools | |
| Prominence of fast-food and soft drink companies as employers or funders of scholarships and community events and projects | Soft drink and fast-food promotions by prominent Black athletes | |
| Cost of supervised preschool and after-school childcare | Cost of supervised preschool and after-school childcare | |
| Policy/political environments that influence inequities in food and physical activity options | Housing policies | Transportation policies |
| Federal and related nutrition and income assistance and food policies | Urban and rural development policies | |
| Regulations on food advertising | Environmental policies | |
| Workforce and labor policies | Workforce and labor policies | |
| School wellness policies | School wellness policies | |
| Sociocultural environments that influence access to and uptake of healthy eating and physical activity options | High-fat, high-sugar foods in traditional cuisine | Cultural norms related to physical activity and the importance of rest |
| Childcare and food-related responsibilities of women | Lack of social support or role models for active living | |
| Caregiver beliefs and feeding practices | Fears about personal safety or child safety | |
| Body image and perceptions that relatively large body size is culturally acceptable or normative | Gender norms about appropriate physical activity | |
| Screen time and exposure to food advertising in multiple media channels | Screen time and reliance on TV and digital devices for entertainment |