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. 2014 Aug:65:40-6.
doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.04.006. Epub 2014 Apr 13.

Urban sprawl and body mass index among displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors

Mariana Arcaya  1 , Peter James  2 , Jean E Rhodes  3 , Mary C Waters  4 , S V Subramanian  5
Affiliations

Urban sprawl and body mass index among displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors

Mariana Arcaya et al. Prev Med. 2014 Aug.

Abstract

Objective: Existing research suggests that walkable environments are protective against weight gain, while sprawling neighborhoods may pose health risks. Using prospective data on displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors, we provide the first natural experimental data on sprawl and body mass index (BMI).

Methods: The analysis uses prospectively collected pre- (2003-2005) and post-hurricane (2006-2007) data from the Resilience in Survivors of Katrina (RISK) project on 280 displaced Hurricane Katrina survivors who had little control over their neighborhood placement immediately after the disaster. The county sprawl index, a standardized measure of built environment, was used to predict BMI at follow-up, adjusted for baseline BMI and sprawl; hurricane-related trauma; and demographic and economic characteristics.

Results: Respondents from 8 New Orleans-area counties were dispersed to 76 counties post-Katrina. Sprawl increased by an average of 1.5 standard deviations (30 points) on the county sprawl index. Each one point increase in sprawl was associated with approximately .05kg/m(2) higher BMI in unadjusted models (95%CI: .01-.08), and the relationship was not attenuated after covariate adjustment.

Conclusions: We find a robust association between residence in a sprawling county and higher BMI unlikely to be caused by self-selection into neighborhoods, suggesting that the built environment may foster changes in weight.

Keywords: Body mass index; Disasters; Multilevel analysis; Residence characteristics; United States.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Statement: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study participant paths from pre-Katrina (2003–2005) New Orleans-area neighborhoods to post-Katrina (2006–2007) neighborhoods
Figure 2
Figure 2
Sample selection flowchart of Hurricane Katrina survivors displaced from New Orleans between baseline (2003–2005) and post-Katrina follow-up (2006–2007)
Figure 3
Figure 3
Scatterplot of Pre- (2003–2005) to Post-Katrina (2006–2007) Change in County Sprawl and Body Mass Index
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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