eprintid: 22418 rev_number: 15 userid: 3500 dir: disk0/00/02/24/18 datestamp: 2014-09-30 12:47:15 lastmod: 2016-11-15 14:22:27 status_changed: 2014-09-30 12:47:15 type: thesis_degree metadata_visibility: show contact_email: sssbs120@yahoo.com item_issues_count: 0 eprint_status: archive creators_name: Bowen-Salio, Sarah creators_email: smb146@pitt.edu creators_id: SMB146 title: The fat and thin of it: neighborhood environment and obesity in the allegheny county health survey ispublished: unpub divisions: sch_gsph_behavioralcommhealthsci full_text_status: public keywords: neighborhood environment, obesity, social support abstract: Approximately 35.1% of American adults are obese. There are significant health inequities in the prevalence of obesity. African Americans, those with low incomes and low educational achievement are significantly more likely to be obese. Obesity is also a risk factor for the development of many debilitating chronic conditions; deaths due to obesity are second behind cigarette smoking. Obesity costs are also staggering. It is estimated that up to 20.6% of national health spending is used to treat obesity-related diseases. Obesity is a complex problem and neighborhood environments are increasingly being studied in relation to their impact on obesity and other health issues. This study analyzes neighborhood impacts on obesity in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. Many neighborhoods in Allegheny County have historical patterns of immigration and deindustrialization which impact health. Using data from the 2009-2010 Allegheny County Health Survey (N=5,442), this study has two major aims. One is to analyze the relationship between the neighborhood environment and obesity in Allegheny County. To that end, bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions are performed to determine if perceived neighborhood walkability, social cohesion, and access to fresh fruits and vegetables and fast food are related to obesity. The second major aim is to determine how perceived social support moderates these relationships. Specifically, does the neighborhood environment have a greater or lesser effect on obesity among those who report greater levels of social support? Results indicate that perceived neighborhood walkability is significantly associated with obesity in Allegheny County, while perceived neighborhood social cohesion and access to fresh fruits and vegetables and fast foods are not significantly associated with obesity. Additionally, perceived social support moderates the relationship between perceived neighborhood walkability and obesity, but not perceived neighborhood social cohesion. Additionally, results are interpreted through the lens of historical processes which have affected Allegheny County, such as immigration, urban renewal, and deindustrialization. Public Health Significance: For those who perceive their neighborhoods to have low walkability, community development efforts to improve walkability as well as social support may help to lessen the probability of being obese. date: 2014-09-30 date_type: published pages: 128 institution: University of Pittsburgh refereed: TRUE etdcommittee_type: committee_chair etdcommittee_type: committee_member etdcommittee_type: committee_member etdcommittee_type: committee_member etdcommittee_name: Documét, Patricia etdcommittee_name: Bear, Todd M etdcommittee_name: Mair , Christina etdcommittee_name: Muller, Edward etdcommittee_email: documetp@yahoo.com etdcommittee_email: tobst2@pitt.edu etdcommittee_email: cmair@pitt.edu etdcommittee_email: ekmuller@pitt.edu etdcommittee_id: etdcommittee_id: TOBST2 etdcommittee_id: CMAIR etdcommittee_id: EKMULLER etd_defense_date: 2014-08-08 etd_approval_date: 2014-09-30 etd_submission_date: 2014-07-20 etd_release_date: 2014-09-30 etd_access_restriction: immediate etd_patent_pending: FALSE thesis_type: thesis degree: MPH citation: Bowen-Salio, Sarah (2014) The fat and thin of it: neighborhood environment and obesity in the allegheny county health survey. Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh. (Unpublished) document_url: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/22418/1/bowen-salio_sarah_MPHthesis_2014.pdf