The alarming increase in childhood overweight/obesity over the past several decades is now recognized as a major public health challenge. Childhood overweight/obesity puts children at risk for negative short- and long-term health and social consequences. This study addressed this concern by examining the relationship between the level of green space, accessibility to a garden (yard), and the degree of dilapidation of an area and children's risks of being overweight or obese. This study also investigated whether parental behaviors moderate or mediate the influence of these environmental factors and evaluated the interaction of SES with environmental context.
Researchers accessed data on 6467 children from the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS). The MCS collected information about children at the age of 9 months and then again at ages 3, 5 and 7 years old. This information included direct measures of the children's height and weight, as well as information about the social, economic and demographic characteristics of the children and their families. The study collected additional information about the environmental context for each child at either the age three or age five survey periods. Three environmental variables -- green space, access to a garden (yard) and neighborhood condition – were used to define the environmental context.
By the age of 7 nearly one in five of the children was overweight or obese. There were statistically significant associations between low levels of green space, no access to a garden, dilapidated area and childhood overweight/obesity. Children's chances of being overweight or obese were greater if they lived in an area with less green space or in an area that was more delipidated. Not having access to a garden also increased their chances of being overweight or obese. The education level of the child's parents moderated the relationship between environment and the chance of overweight or obesity. Children of more highly educated parents had an increased risk of being overweight or obese when the environment in which they lived was more rundown; and children with less educated parents had a lower risk of being overweight or obese when they had access to a garden.
These findings are consistent with other studies demonstrating a relationship between access to green space and the chance of being overweight or obese. These findings are also consistent with other studies showing an association between SES and children's risks of being overweight or obese. This study adds to those findings, however, by indicating that that the association between SES and risk of overweight/obesity is dependent on the educational level of the parents.
This study highlights the importance of access to safe outdoor areas as a potential public health strategy for addressing childhood obesity.
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