Graffiti, greenery, and obesity in adults: secondary analysis of European cross sectional survey
BMJ 2005; 331 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.38575.664549.F7 (Published 15 September 2005) Cite this as: BMJ 2005;331:611
- Anne Ellaway (anne@msoc.mrc.gla.ac.uk), senior researcher1,
- Sally Macintyre, director1,
- Xavier Bonnefoy, regional adviser2
- 1 MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8RZ
- 2 WHO European Centre for Environment and Health, Görresstr 15, D-53113 Bonn, Germany
- Correspondence to: A Ellaway
- Accepted 5 July 2005
Introduction
Obesity levels are high and increasing worldwide. Being overweight is linked with increased death rates and contributes to a wide range of conditions, including ischaemic heart disease, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, certain cancers, and diseases of the gall bladder.1 The principal cause of obesity is an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. And there is growing recognition that, independently of individual characteristics, place of residence may be associated with health outcomes, including body size2 and health related behaviours, such as level of physical exercise.3
Few studies have explored which features of the local neighbourhood might be related to these outcomes or behaviours, although perceived attractiveness has been found to be related to levels of physical activity.4 Levels of incivilities, such as litter and graffiti, are associated with poorer health outcomes such as general wellbeing but not, to our knowledge, with levels of physical activity. Few studies use …