Development and testing of a multicomponent obesogenic built environment measure for youth using kernel density estimations

Innovative measures can advance the measurement and understanding of obesogenic environments on health outcomes. In a southeastern US county, public parks (n = 103) were scored using detailed audit data, while two databases of food stores and restaurants were compiled (n = 1112). Using kernel density estimations, separate raster (pixel) surfaces were created for each built environment component. Each surface was scaled and summed to create an obesogenic environment measure. Health-promoting built environments were related to lower weight status in youth (beta = - 0.25, p < 0.05), with differences by urban and non-urban areas. This study demonstrates a unique method to quantify and WA obesogenic built environments.