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Hilly neighborhoods are associated with increased risk of weight gain among older adults in rural Japan : A 3-years follow-up study

Okuyama, Kenta LU ; Abe, Takafumi ; Hamano, Tsuyoshi ; Takeda, Miwako ; Sundquist, Kristina LU ; Sundquist, Jan LU and Nabika, Toru (2019) In International Journal of Health Geographics 18(1).
Abstract

Background: Neighborhood environments have been regularly associated with the weight status. Although the evidence is mostly limited to adults residing in western urban settings, the weight status of older adults living in rural areas is also assumed to be significantly affected by their neighborhood environments. This study aimed to identify environmental attributes specific to rural areas that could affect the risk of longitudinal weight gain among older adults (≥ 65 years) in Japan. Methods: We examined five environmental attributes, i.e., land slope, public transportation accessibility, residential density, intersection density, and the availability of parks and recreational centers, measured by the geographic information system.... (More)

Background: Neighborhood environments have been regularly associated with the weight status. Although the evidence is mostly limited to adults residing in western urban settings, the weight status of older adults living in rural areas is also assumed to be significantly affected by their neighborhood environments. This study aimed to identify environmental attributes specific to rural areas that could affect the risk of longitudinal weight gain among older adults (≥ 65 years) in Japan. Methods: We examined five environmental attributes, i.e., land slope, public transportation accessibility, residential density, intersection density, and the availability of parks and recreational centers, measured by the geographic information system. Our analysis was based on 714 subjects participated in Shimane Community-based Healthcare Research and Education study in 2012 and 2015. Multinomial logistic regression model was conducted to examine the association between each neighborhood environmental attribute and weight change status (gain, loss and unchanged). Results: We observed a significant increase in the risk of weight gain as the steepness of the neighborhood land slope increased. There was no significant association between other environmental attributes and risk of weight gain as well as weight loss among older adults. Conclusion: Living in hilly neighborhoods was associated with increased risk of weight gain among rural Japanese older adults. Future research should consider region-specific environmental attributes when investigating their effect on older adults' weight status.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Neighborhood, Older adults, Rural, Slope, Weight change
in
International Journal of Health Geographics
volume
18
issue
1
article number
10
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85065615878
  • pmid:31077213
ISSN
1476-072X
DOI
10.1186/s12942-019-0174-z
project
Neighborhood environment and cardiovascular-related diseases in diverse populations
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f858aa46-f736-475c-ab9a-7ec8c10651b0
date added to LUP
2019-05-22 13:00:15
date last changed
2024-04-16 07:15:50
@article{f858aa46-f736-475c-ab9a-7ec8c10651b0,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Neighborhood environments have been regularly associated with the weight status. Although the evidence is mostly limited to adults residing in western urban settings, the weight status of older adults living in rural areas is also assumed to be significantly affected by their neighborhood environments. This study aimed to identify environmental attributes specific to rural areas that could affect the risk of longitudinal weight gain among older adults (≥ 65 years) in Japan. Methods: We examined five environmental attributes, i.e., land slope, public transportation accessibility, residential density, intersection density, and the availability of parks and recreational centers, measured by the geographic information system. Our analysis was based on 714 subjects participated in Shimane Community-based Healthcare Research and Education study in 2012 and 2015. Multinomial logistic regression model was conducted to examine the association between each neighborhood environmental attribute and weight change status (gain, loss and unchanged). Results: We observed a significant increase in the risk of weight gain as the steepness of the neighborhood land slope increased. There was no significant association between other environmental attributes and risk of weight gain as well as weight loss among older adults. Conclusion: Living in hilly neighborhoods was associated with increased risk of weight gain among rural Japanese older adults. Future research should consider region-specific environmental attributes when investigating their effect on older adults' weight status.</p>}},
  author       = {{Okuyama, Kenta and Abe, Takafumi and Hamano, Tsuyoshi and Takeda, Miwako and Sundquist, Kristina and Sundquist, Jan and Nabika, Toru}},
  issn         = {{1476-072X}},
  keywords     = {{Neighborhood; Older adults; Rural; Slope; Weight change}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Health Geographics}},
  title        = {{Hilly neighborhoods are associated with increased risk of weight gain among older adults in rural Japan : A 3-years follow-up study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12942-019-0174-z}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s12942-019-0174-z}},
  volume       = {{18}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}