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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
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Disparities of children's obesogenic environments in Louisiana

Yutian Zeng1, Fahui Wang2, Senlin Chen3

  • 1Department of Epidemiology, Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.

International Journal of Health Geographics
|June 11, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Childhood obesity is rising, especially in Louisiana. This study measured obesogenic environments, finding walkability and food access vary significantly by location and demographics, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Health
  • Urban Planning
  • Pediatric Public Health

Background:

  • Childhood obesity presents a significant public health challenge with long-term health consequences.
  • Obesity prevalence is rising, with higher rates in the U.S. Deep South, like Louisiana.
  • Environmental factors significantly influence children's health behaviors and outcomes, yet research on child-specific obesogenic environments is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively measure obesogenic environments for children in Louisiana.
  • To analyze disparities in park accessibility, walkability, and food environment at the ZIP Code level.
  • To investigate the influence of urbanicity, race, and socioeconomic factors on these environmental indicators.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized Geographic Information System (GIS) for spatial analysis of environmental factors.
  • Conducted a three-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) to examine main and interaction effects.
  • Assessed park accessibility, walkability, and food environment indicators across different demographic and geographic subgroups.

Main Results:

  • Walkability is significantly influenced by urbanicity, Black population percentage, and Area Deprivation Index (ADI), including complex interactions.
  • Food environment disparities exist, linked to urban-rural differences and ADI levels.
  • No significant disparities in park accessibility were found across different subgroups.

Conclusions:

  • Park accessibility disparities are minimal, but the food environment shows significant variation based on urbanicity and ADI.
  • Walkability exhibits complex socio-spatial interactions, indicating multifaceted challenges.
  • Findings support targeted public health interventions and urban planning strategies to mitigate obesogenic environments and improve child health.
Abstract

Keywords:
Child healthLouisianaObesity preventionObesogenic environmentsSpatial inequities

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