Unsafe neighborhoods linked to children’s weight

Children who live in dangerous neighborhoods are more likely to be overweight than those who live in safer environments, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that 7-year-olds whose parents felt their neighborhood was unsafe were up to four times more likely than other children to be overweight. The study did not investigate the reasons for the link, but the researchers suspect that fearful parents may often keep their children from playing outdoors, which limits their amount of physical activity.

When children are stuck inside, not only are they not exercising, but they may also be sitting in front of the TV and snacking more, explained lead study author Dr. Julie C. Lumeng of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

She and her colleagues report their findings in the January issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

The study surveyed parents of 768 children living in 10 U.S. cities and rural communities. Among other questions, parents were asked about the general safety of their neighborhood—including whether they were satisfied with the police protection, and whether there were problems with muggings, assaults, drug dealing or other crimes.

Overall, 10 percent of the children were overweight, but the risk was greater among those who lived in more dangerous neighborhoods.

The one-quarter of children whose neighborhoods were most dangerous, based on parents’ perceptions, were roughly four times as likely to be overweight as children who lived in the safest neighborhoods. That was with other factors, such as race and mothers’ education and marital status, taken into account.

If neighborhood safety is keeping children from exercising, then “creative” community planning and zoning laws might help stem the rise of childhood obesity in the U.S., according to Lumeng and her colleagues.

One idea is that having a mix of residential and commercial buildings in a neighborhood encourages more foot traffic—which may in turn spur a greater sense of community and perhaps safer streets, Lumeng told Reuters Health.

Installing better street lighting, clearing vacant lots and building playgrounds close to people’s homes, she noted, are other ways communities could make parents feel better about letting their children play outside.

For their part, Lumeng said, parents could help their young children be active by supervising them outdoors if they’re worried about safety. Working parents, she added, may be able to find a free or low-cost after-school program that includes physical activity—another area, Lumeng said, where many communities need to come through.

But it’s also possible that some parents’ perceptions of their neighborhoods are not completely accurate. In general, research has shown that although there is less violent crime in the U.S. than there was 20 years ago, Americans feel less safe.

So some parents, Lumeng said, might want to make sure their perceptions are in line with reality before they stop their children from playing in their own yard.

SOURCE: Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, January 2006.

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