The length of time children and young adults live in poor neighborhoods
is associated with obesity later in life, new research confirms
. This is one of
a few recent studies to illustrate the health consequences of residential
inequalities in the U.S. Researchers hypothesize that the link between poverty
and obesity is partially attributed to the lack of exercise amenities, healthy
food sources and increased stress in low-income areas.
CU Denver researcher Adam Lippert, an assistant professor in the
Department of Sociology, finds that adolescents who grow up and consistently
live in poor neighborhoods are more likely to become or remain obese in
adulthood than their peers who live in more affluent areas. These patterns are
more pronounced for young women.
Lippert's
study was published this month in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.
Lippert
examined national survey data from students in grades seven through 12 that
were followed over a period of 13 years. He sought to understand how the odds of
becoming obese varied for young men and women as they entered, exited or
consistently lived in poor neighborhoods during the transition to adulthood.
The
study shows that when teens move out of low-income neighborhoods, their risk of
obesity decreases, while moving into a poor neighborhood increases the risk.
And consistently living in poor areas puts young people at greatest risk for
becoming or remaining obese in the future.
This
is one of a few recent studies to illustrate the health consequences of residential
inequalities in the U.S. Researchers hypothesize that the link between poverty
and obesity is partially attributed to the lack of exercise amenities, healthy
food sources and increased stress in low-income areas.
"The
research demonstrates that the long-term residential experiences of teenagers
can affect their life-long health," said Lippert. "It's encouraging
to see that the risk of obesity can be curtailed by moving out of a low-income
areas."
Lippert's
results suggest that providing teenagers with resources to improve their
residential circumstances as they enter adulthood can positively impact their
life and health.
Source:
sciencedaily
No comments:
Post a Comment