311807
Association between BMI and Elevation of Residence: A Multilevel Study Using NHANES Participants
Methods: Multilevel analyses of Continuous NHANES 2003-2006 participants (n=4,190) nested in the census tract of residence were conducted. BMI was derived from the directly measured individual height and weight in NHANES. Elevation data was obtained from the 2009 National Elevation Database (NED) and used to calculate tract-level mean elevation by using ArcGIS 10.2 zonal statistics. Additional individual level characteristics potentially associated with BMI (i.e., age, race/ethnicity, gender, household income, marital status, education, smoking status, and nativity) were also included in our models.
Results: ANOVA analysis of BMI in individual level models found that a significant amount of the variance in BMI was explained by residence location. Multilevel analyses indicated a strong effect for tract-level elevation and BMI, as well. This effect persisted after controlling for individual demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.
Conclusion: Elevation of residence was found to be inversely associated with BMI of participants in the continuous NHANES by both individual and multilevel models. Future analyses should consider the duration of individual residence.
Learning Areas:
EpidemiologyPublic health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences
Learning Objectives:
Demonstrate an application of multilevel analysis and GIS methods to explore obesity disparity.
Describe the association between elevation of residence and obesity at a small geographical level
Keyword(s): Obesity, Epidemiology
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been involved in multiple projects focusing on using social and environmental determinants to solve public health related issues. My background in Geography, GIS, and Environmental Sciences make me a qualified author for these interdisciplinary field.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.