International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 4 authors, 4 centres
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Using GIS-based zip-code-level analysis of baseline data from a peer-led healthy lifestyle trial, this ecological cohort study found significant neighborhood environmental differences between and within New York City and Philadelphia, and identified several neighborhood characteristics associated with baseline diet and physical activity behaviors among low-income, minority people with serious mental illness.
This study used baseline data from the peer-led Healthy Lifestyle for People with Serious Mental Illness (PGLB) obesity control trial to characterize neighborhood-level place-based factors using GIS. Zip-code-level geodatabases were created for New York City and Philadelphia covering built, social, healthcare, transit, and food environments. Chi-square and t-tests assessed differences in the spatial distribution of health-related environmental characteristics between and within cities and their associations with baseline diet and physical activity outcomes. All neighborhood characteristic categories showed significant environmental differences between and within cities. Several neighborhood factors were associated with participants' baseline healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. Limitations include non-random sampling, restricted zip-code sample size precluding multivariable regression, exclusive inclusion of participants with overweight or obesity, restriction to two cities, and zip-code-level rather than participant-centric spatial analysis.
