Childhood Overweight/Obesity and the Physical Activity Environment in Rhode Island

This study seeks to better understand the relationship between the physical activity environment and child overweight/obesity in Rhode Island.

Using geographic information systems (GIS), this study calculated distances from residences to physical activity resources to assess the relationship distance has with childhood overweight/obesity.

Mean distances in high-risk towns ranged from 0.61 to 3.15 miles compared to physical activity resources in low-risk towns, where distances ranged from 1.25 to 7.43 miles. For each additional mile to reach the closest indoor facility, there is a 0.41 (95% CI: -0.78, -0.03) percentage point decrease in the child overweight/obesity rate.  Conclusion: High-risk block groups and towns have higher rates of child overweight/obesity and show shorter distances to physical activity resources. This study demonstrates that simply having physical activity structures in place is not enough to reduce child overweight/obesity and further research should examine the quality and usage patterns of these resources.