Original Contribution Relation between Neighborhood Environments and Obesity in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

This study investigated associations between neighborhood physical and social environments and body mass index in 2,865 participants of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) aged 45–84 years and residing in Maryland, New York, and North Carolina. Neighborhood (census tract) environments were measured in non-MESA participants residing in MESA neighborhoods (2000–2002). The neighborhood physical environment score com-bined measures of a better walking environment and greater availability of healthy foods. The neighborhood social environment score combined measures of greater aesthetic quality, safety, and social cohesion and less violent crime. Marginal maximum likelihood was used to estimate associations between neighborhood environments and body mass index (kg/m2) before and after adjustment for individual-level covariates. MESA residents of neighbor-hoods with better physical environments had lower body mass index (mean difference per standard deviation higher neighborhood measure 2.38 (95 % confidence interval (CI): 3.38, 1.38) kg/m2 for women and 1.20 (95 % CI: 1.84, 0.57) kg/m2 for men), independent of age, race/ethnicity, education, and income. Attenuation o