Healthy urban environment characterization

focused on physical activity and food: A GIS-

based method

Alba Cebrecos1,2 (alba.cebrecos@uah.es), Julia Díez2, Pedro Gullón2,

Usama Bilal2,3, Manuel Franco2,3 and Francisco Escobar1,2

1. Department of Geology, Geography and Environment, Faculty of Biology,

Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de

Henares, Madrid, Spain.

2. Social and Cardiovascular Epidemiology Research Group, Universidad de

Alcala, Madrid, Spain

3. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD

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Background

OBESITY

ENERGY INTAKE

ENERGY EXPEDITURE

OBESOGENIC ENVIRONMENT

FOOD ENVIRONMENT

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ENVIRONMENT

INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOURS

BUILTENVIRONMENT

Individual SES

Socioeconomicenvironment

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Background

Conectivity

Foodstores

Diversity

Accesibility

Ratio

Facilities

Sprawl

Urbandesign

Safety

Price

FOOD ENVIRONMENT

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ENVIRONMENT

INTE

GR

ATED

AP

PR

OA

CH

GIS

-bas

ed

OBESOGENIC ENVIRONMENT

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Objective

To design a multivariable tool based on

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to integrate

information from the physical activity and food

environment to better characterize obesogenic

environments in urban areas.

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Median Neighbourhood

Index (MNI)

12 contiguous census

sections

≈15,000 residents

Study area

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Methods

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Methods

Kernel Density Estimation

(KDE)

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Results

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Discussion and conclusions

Development of an innovative method to assess the obesogenic

environment by a synthetic index integrating measures of food and

physical activity environments

Results highlight a way to consider urban environments as

integrated promoters or barriers for healthy behaviors such as

better eating and being physically active

Synthetic index may be relevant tool to inform future urban health

interventions or research.

Future research may consider more complex weighting of factors

when considering the importance of the food and physical activity

environment

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THANKS!Questions?

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Results

7915024 7915030 7915033 7915034 7915035 7915036 7915037 7915038 7915039 7915112 7915113 7915114 TOTAL

Population (%) 980 (6.5) 1110 (7.4) 1265 (8.4) 635 (4.2) 1205 (8.0) 540 (3.6) 1335 (8.9) 2145 (14.3) 1980 (13.2) 1680 (11.2) 1480 (9.9) 625 (4.2) 14975

Women (%) 555 (56.6) 600 (54.0) 780 (61.6) 395 (62.2) 670 (55.6) 320 (59.2) 750 (56.2) 1210 (56.4) 1135 (57.3) 980 (58.3) 865 (58.4) 315 (50.4) 8580 (57.3)

Foreign born (%) 200 (20.4) 205 (18.5) 165 (13.0) 115 (18.1) 230 (19.1) 485 (18.5) 535 (20.5) 495 (23.1) 190 (9.6) 200 (11.9) 205 (13.8) 165 (26.4) 2615 (17.5)

Years <16 (%) 180 (18.4) 60 (5.4) 135 (10.7) 25 (6.8) 130 (10.8) 70 (13.0) 125 (9.4) 230 (10.7) 105 (5.3) 140 (8.3) 40 (2.7) 70 (11.2) 1320 (8.8)

Years > 65 (%) 180 (18.4) 310 (28.0) 435 (34.4) 255 (40.1) 300 (24.9) 160 (29.6) 250 (18.7) 350 (16.3) 505 (25.5) 230 (13.7) 395 (10.8) 275 (26.7) 3645 (24.3)

Area in km2 (%) 0.05 (12.0) 0.04 (9.3) 0.05 (12.2) 0.03 (7.4) 0.03 (6.3) 0.02 (4.7) 0.03 (6.9) 0.04 (9.6) 0.03 (7.9) 0.03 (8.1) 0.03 (8.2) 0.03 (7.5) 0.42

Density Hab/m2 19366.1 28224.2 24478.0 20359.1 45451.1 27387.5 45980.6 53011.4 59102.7 49018.2 42545.8 19691.2 35416.4

Characterization LOW MEDIUM-LOW MEDIUM-LOW HIGHMEDIUM-

HIGHMEDIUM-LOW LOW LOW

MEDIUM-HIGH

LOWMEDIUM-

HIGHMEDIUM-LOW