Active Living Policies and Environments-Body Weight
Active living policies have the potential to affect both environmental changes and behaviors, can benefit all people rather than select individuals, and given long-lasting effects of environmental changes, are more sustainable than individual-level interventions. Decision makers and advocates need rigorous scientific evidence about the impact that active living policies and environment can have on improving body weights across the lifespan and in subgroups disproportionately impacted by obesity [i.e., women, racial/ethnic minorities, and those of lower socioeconomic status (SES)]. However, longitudinal, nationwide evidence on active living policy effects on body weight outcomes is rare. The goal of this study is to determine the influence of active living policies and the built and food environments on changes in body weight outcomes over time in subgroups across the lifespan. We will also explore whether active living policy influences can mitigate effects of unsupportive environments and potentiate effects of supportive environments.
This research is ongoing and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Data for Action Program and is led by Dr. Zenk and Dr. Sandy Slater.
Publications and Presentations Heading link
Zenk SN, Pugach O, Wing C, Chriqui J, Laternser C, Tarlov E, & Slater S. (2019). Active living-oriented zoning and BMI: A test of complementarity and substitution with the retail food environment. Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science, Seattle, WA
Slater S, Pugach O, Wing C, Chriqui J, Laternser C, Tarlov E, & Zenk SN. (2019). Do the effects of active living zoning policies and fitness facility access on youth BMI depend on area SES? Healthy People on a Healthy Planet, Milwaukee, WI