Citation

Pendola R, Gen S. Health Place 2007; 13(2): 551-556.

Affiliation

San Francisco State University, HSS Building, Room #235, 1600, Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA. r_pendola@yahoo.com

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.healthplace.2006.02.004

PMID

16621666

Abstract

The epidemic of overweight and obesity has sparked interest in urban planning circles. Many believe the built environment directly influences physical health, and recent empirical evidence supports this notion. Cross-sectional survey data was collected from a sample of San Francisco residents (n=670) in the summer of 2005. Body mass index (BMI) served as the dependent variable. Independent variables included population density and auto use. Results indicate an inverse relationship between density and auto use as well as higher BMI scores for respondents reporting high levels of auto use for the work/school commute and trips to the grocery store.

Language: en