Green Space and Child Weight Status: Does Outcome Measurement Matter? Evidence from an Australian Longitudinal Study
Objective. To examine whether neighbourhood green space is beneficially associated with (i) waist circumference (WC) and (ii) waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) across childhood. Methods. Gender-stratified multilevel linear regressions were used to examine associations between green space and objective me...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2015-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Obesity |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/194838 |
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| _version_ | 1832563000216649728 |
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| author | Taren Sanders Xiaoqi Feng Paul P. Fahey Chris Lonsdale Thomas Astell-Burt |
| author_facet | Taren Sanders Xiaoqi Feng Paul P. Fahey Chris Lonsdale Thomas Astell-Burt |
| author_sort | Taren Sanders |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective. To examine whether neighbourhood green space is beneficially associated with (i) waist circumference (WC) and (ii) waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) across childhood. Methods. Gender-stratified multilevel linear regressions were used to examine associations between green space and objective measures of weight status in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, a nationally representative source of data on 4,423 children aged 6 y to 13 y. WC and WtHR were measured objectively. Percentage green space within the local area of residence was calculated. Effect modification by age was explored, adjusting for socioeconomic confounding. Results. Compared to peers with 0–5% green space locally, boys and girls with >40% green space tended to have lower WC (βboys −1.15, 95% CI −2.44, 0.14; βgirls −0.21, 95% CI −1.47, 1.05) and WtHR (βboys −0.82, 95% CI −1.65, 0.01; βgirls −0.32, 95% CI −1.13, 0.49). Associations among boys were contingent upon age (p valuesage∗green space<0.001) and robust to adjustment for socioeconomic variables. The benefits of greener neighbourhoods appeared from age 7, with mean WC and WtHR for boys aged 13 y with >40% green space at 73.85 cm and 45.75% compared to those with 0–5% green space at 75.18 cm and 46.62%, respectively. Conclusions. Greener neighbourhoods appear beneficial to alternative child weight status measures, particularly among boys. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-14664d69c8d245998022c7b8c0705459 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2090-0708 2090-0716 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2015-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Obesity |
| spelling | doaj-art-14664d69c8d245998022c7b8c07054592025-02-03T01:21:17ZengWileyJournal of Obesity2090-07082090-07162015-01-01201510.1155/2015/194838194838Green Space and Child Weight Status: Does Outcome Measurement Matter? Evidence from an Australian Longitudinal StudyTaren Sanders0Xiaoqi Feng1Paul P. Fahey2Chris Lonsdale3Thomas Astell-Burt4School of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, NSW 2751, AustraliaSchool of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, NSW 2751, AustraliaSchool of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, NSW 2751, AustraliaInstitute for Positive Psychology and Education, Australian Catholic University, Strathfield, NSW 2135, AustraliaSchool of Science and Health, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, NSW 2751, AustraliaObjective. To examine whether neighbourhood green space is beneficially associated with (i) waist circumference (WC) and (ii) waist-to-height ratio (WtHR) across childhood. Methods. Gender-stratified multilevel linear regressions were used to examine associations between green space and objective measures of weight status in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, a nationally representative source of data on 4,423 children aged 6 y to 13 y. WC and WtHR were measured objectively. Percentage green space within the local area of residence was calculated. Effect modification by age was explored, adjusting for socioeconomic confounding. Results. Compared to peers with 0–5% green space locally, boys and girls with >40% green space tended to have lower WC (βboys −1.15, 95% CI −2.44, 0.14; βgirls −0.21, 95% CI −1.47, 1.05) and WtHR (βboys −0.82, 95% CI −1.65, 0.01; βgirls −0.32, 95% CI −1.13, 0.49). Associations among boys were contingent upon age (p valuesage∗green space<0.001) and robust to adjustment for socioeconomic variables. The benefits of greener neighbourhoods appeared from age 7, with mean WC and WtHR for boys aged 13 y with >40% green space at 73.85 cm and 45.75% compared to those with 0–5% green space at 75.18 cm and 46.62%, respectively. Conclusions. Greener neighbourhoods appear beneficial to alternative child weight status measures, particularly among boys.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/194838 |
| spellingShingle | Taren Sanders Xiaoqi Feng Paul P. Fahey Chris Lonsdale Thomas Astell-Burt Green Space and Child Weight Status: Does Outcome Measurement Matter? Evidence from an Australian Longitudinal Study Journal of Obesity |
| title | Green Space and Child Weight Status: Does Outcome Measurement Matter? Evidence from an Australian Longitudinal Study |
| title_full | Green Space and Child Weight Status: Does Outcome Measurement Matter? Evidence from an Australian Longitudinal Study |
| title_fullStr | Green Space and Child Weight Status: Does Outcome Measurement Matter? Evidence from an Australian Longitudinal Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Green Space and Child Weight Status: Does Outcome Measurement Matter? Evidence from an Australian Longitudinal Study |
| title_short | Green Space and Child Weight Status: Does Outcome Measurement Matter? Evidence from an Australian Longitudinal Study |
| title_sort | green space and child weight status does outcome measurement matter evidence from an australian longitudinal study |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/194838 |
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