Small-area estimation and prioritizing communities for obesity control in Massachusetts
Authors
Li, WenjunKelsey, Jennifer L.
Zhang, Zi
Lemon, Stephenie C.
Mezgebu, Solomon
Boddie-Willis, Cynthia
Reed, George W.
UMass Chan Affiliations
Department of Family Medicine and Community HealthDepartment of Medicine, Division of Preventive and Behavorial Medicine
Document Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2009-03-20Keywords
AdolescentAdult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Body Mass Index
Child
Female
Humans
Male
Massachusetts
Middle Aged
Models, Statistical
Nutritional Status
Obesity
Population Surveillance
Prevalence
*Public Health
*Residence Characteristics
Risk Factors
Time Factors
Young Adult
Community Health and Preventive Medicine
Life Sciences
Medicine and Health Sciences
Public Health
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
OBJECTIVES: We developed a method to evaluate geographic and temporal variations in community-level obesity prevalence and used that method to identify communities in Massachusetts that should be considered high priority communities for obesity control. METHODS: We developed small-area estimation models to estimate community-level obesity prevalence among community-living adults 18 years or older. Individual-level data from the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System from 1999 to 2005 were integrated with community-level data from the 2000 US Census. Small-area estimation models assessed the associations of obesity (body mass index >or= 30 kg/m(2)) with individual- and community-level characteristics. A classification system based on level and precision of obesity prevalence estimates was then used to identify high-priority communities. RESULTS: Estimates of the prevalence of community-level obesity ranged from 9% to 38% in 2005 and increased in all communities from 1999 to 2005. Fewer than 7% of communities met the Healthy People 2010 objective of prevalence rates below 15%. The highest prevalence rates occurred in communities characterized by lower income, less education, and more blue-collar workers. CONCLUSIONS: Similar to the rest of the nation, Massachusetts faces a great challenge in reaching the national obesity control objective. Targeting high-priority communities identified by small-area estimation may maximize use of limited resources.Source
Am J Public Health. 2009 Mar;99(3):511-9. Epub 2009 Jan 15. Link to article on publisher's siteDOI
10.2105/AJPH.2008.137364Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/39288PubMed ID
19150906Related Resources
Link to Article in PubMedae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.2105/AJPH.2008.137364