Psychosocial environment: definitions, measures and associations with weight status--a systematic review

Social capital as a moderator of the relationship between violent community environment and psychological distress

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the modifying effect of social capital on the relationship between living in violent communities and the presence of psychological distress in adolescents and youth in Mexico.

METHOD

The analysis of the Social Cohesion Survey for the Prevention of Violence and Crime (ECOPRED, by its acronym in Spanish) was conducted. The analytic sample consisted of 39,639 participants aged 12 to 29 years. Community violence and social capital were measured at the census tract level using the average answers of a household's head sample. These environmental variables were independent of the experiences of the participants. Social capital variables included structural (social ties, recreational participation, collaborative participation, and social cohesion), and cognitive (trust in neighbors) dimensions. Multilevel structural equation models were used.

RESULTS

Recreational participation, collaborative participation, and social cohesion modified the relationship between community environments and psychological distress. In females who lived in places with less recreational participation or less social cohesion, the higher the social disorder, the higher the psychological distress. A similar relationship between vandalism and psychological distress was identified, but only in males who lived in places with less collaborative participation, and in females with less social cohesion.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that dimensions of the structural social capital (organization and interest in the community and its members) were the ones that had the buffering effect of the exposure to disordered community environments on psychological distress.

Relationship between body mass index and residential segregation in large cities of Latin America

BACKGROUND

Obesity is a global health problem, and its connection with social and environmental factors is well-established. Social factors, such as urban segregation, may impact obesity through various mechanisms, including food and physical activity environments, as well as social norms and networks. This multilevel study aims to examine the effect of socio-economic residential segregation of Latin American cities on the obesity of individuals within those cities.

METHODS

We analyzed data from national surveys for a total of 59,340 individuals of 18-70 years of age, conducted in 156 cities across Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Mexico between 2007 and 2013. We adjusted two-level linear mixed models for body mass index (BMI) stratified by sex and country, controlling for age, educational level and poverty. Separate models were built for dissimilarity and isolation segregation indices.

RESULTS

The relationships between segregation indices and BMI were mostly not statistically significant, and in some cases, they were opposite to what was expected. The only significant relationships were observed in Colombian men, using the dissimilarity index (-7.5 [95% CI: -14.4, -0.5]) and in Colombian women, using the isolation index (-7.9 [95% CI: -14.1, -1.7]).

CONCLUSIONS

While individual-level factors cannot fully explain differences among people in the same city, segregation indices may help. However, we found that in some cases, the relationship between BMI and segregation indices is opposite to what is expected based on prior literature. This should be considered in examining the phenomenon. Further research on obesogenic environments in segregated neighborhoods could provide valuable evidence.

Association of greenspaces exposure with cardiometabolic risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Cardiometabolic conditions are major contributors to the global burden of disease. An emerging body of evidence has associated access to and surrounding public open spaces (POS) and greenspace with cardiometabolic risk factors, including obesity, body mass index (BMI), hypertension (HTN), blood glucose (BG), and lipid profiles. This systematic review aimed to synthesize this evidence.

METHODS

This systematic review was conducted based on the PRISMA guidelines. Four electronic databases including Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for eligible articles published until July 2023. All observational studies which assessed the association of greenspace and POS with cardiometabolic risk factors including obesity, BMI, HTN, BG, and lipid profiles were included and reviewed by two authors independently. Heterogeneity between studies was assessed using the I2 index and Cochrane's Q test. Random/fixed effect meta-analyses were used to combine the association between greenspace exposure with cardiometabolic risk factors.

RESULTS

Overall, 118 relevant articles were included in our review. The majority of the articles were conducted in North America or Europe. In qualitative synthesis, access or proximity to greenspaces or POS impacts BMI and blood pressure or HTN, BG, and lipid profiles via various mechanisms. According to the random effect meta-analysis, more access to greenspace was significantly associated with lower odds of HTN (odds ratio (OR): 0.81, 95% confidence intervals (CIs): 0.61-0.99), obesity (OR: 0.83, 95% CIs: 0.77-0.90), and diabetes (OR:0.79, 95% CI: 0.67,0.90).

CONCLUSIONS

Findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that greenspace accessibility is associated with some cardiometabolic risk factors. Improving greenspace accessibility could be considered as one of the main strategies to reduce cardiometabolic risk factors at population level.

Associations between dimensions of the social environment and cardiometabolic risk factors: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim

The social environment (SE), including social contacts, norms and support, is an understudied element of the living environment which impacts health. We aim to comprehensively summarize the evidence on the association between the SE and risk factors of cardiometabolic disease (CMD).

Methods

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis based on studies published in PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection from inception to 16 February 2021. Studies that used a risk factor of CMD, e.g., HbA1c or blood pressure, as outcome and social environmental factors such as area-level deprivation or social network size as independent variables were included. Titles and abstracts were screened in duplicate. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Data appraisal and extraction were based on the study protocol published in PROSPERO. Data were synthesized through vote counting and meta-analyses.

Results

From the 7521 records screened, 168 studies reported 1050 associations were included in this review. Four meta-analyses based on 24 associations suggested that an unfavorable social environment was associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic risk factors, with three of them being statistically significant. For example, individuals that experienced more economic and social disadvantage had a higher "CVD risk scores" (OR = 1.54, 95%CI: 1.35 to 1.84). Of the 458 associations included in the vote counting, 323 (71%) pointed towards unfavorable social environments being associated with higher CMD risk.

Conclusion

Higher economic and social disadvantage seem to contribute to unfavorable CMD risk factor profiles, while evidence for other dimensions of the social environment is limited.

Neighborhood socioeconomic differences in BMI: The role of fast-food outlets and physical activity facilities

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study was to investigate the association between neighborhood socioeconomic status (NSES) and BMI and to what extent this association is moderated by availability of fast-food (FF) outlets and pay-for-use physical activity (PA) facilities.

METHODS

Baseline data of adults in Lifelines (N = 146,629) were linked to Statistics Netherlands and a register using geocoding to compute, respectively, NSES (i.e., low, middle, high) and the number of FF outlets and PA facilities within 1 km of the residential address. Multivariable multilevel linear regression analyses were performed to examine the association between NSES and BMI. Two-way and three-way interaction terms were tested to examine moderation by FF outlets and PA facilities.

RESULTS

Participants living in low NSES areas had a higher BMI than participants living in high (B [95% CI]: 0.76 [0.65 to 0.87]) or middle NSES areas (B [95% CI]: 0.40 [0.28 to 0.51]), independent of individual socioeconomic status. Although two- and three-way interactions between NSES, FF outlets, and PA facilities were significant, stratified analyses did not show consistent moderation patterns.

CONCLUSIONS

People living in lower NSES areas had a higher BMI, independent of their individual socioeconomic status. The study found no clear moderation of FF outlets and PA facilities. Environmental factors that may mitigate NSES differences in BMI should be the subject of future research.

Assessing Hispanic/Latino and Non-Hispanic White Social Determinants of Obesity Among a Community Sample of Residents in the Rural Southeast US

Employing an ecological approach, we sought to identify social determinants of obesity among Hispanics/Latinos and non-Hispanic whites living in the Southeast US. Data on social determinants of obesity (individual, family, community and cultural/contextual) were collected from 217 participants [106 Hispanics/Latinos; 111 non-Hispanic whites]; height and weight  were objectively measured. We compared prevalence of overweight and obese between ethnic groups and BMI values within each group by social determinants. Hispanics had a 1.9-fold increase (OR 1.93, 95% CI: 1.05-3.55) in overweight prevalence compared to non-Hispanic whites after adjusting for age and gender. We found positive estimates between unfavorable family-level determinants and BMI among Hispanic/Latinos. In contrast, non-Hispanic whites who reported unfavorable neighborhood characteristics had higher BMI's. Findings highlight the need for targeted approaches for the prevention and control of obesity.

Growing up green: a systematic review of the influence of greenspace on youth development and health outcomes

Youth growing up in places with more greenspaces have better developmental outcomes. The literature on greenspace and youth development is largely cross-sectional, thus limited in terms of measuring development and establishing causal inference. We conducted a systematic review of prospective, longitudinal studies measuring the association between greenspace exposure and youth development outcomes measured between ages two and eighteen. We searched Cochrane, PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Environment Complete, and included prospective cohort, quasi-experimental, and experimental studies on greenspace and youth development. Study quality was assessed using a 10-item checklist adapted from a previously published review on greenspace and health. Twenty-eight studies met criteria for review and were grouped into five thematic categories based on reported outcomes: cognitive and brain development, mental health and wellbeing, attention and behavior, allergy and respiratory, and obesity and weight. Seventy-nine percent of studies suggest an association between greenspace and improved youth development. Most studies were concentrated in wealthy, Western European countries, limiting generalizability of findings. Key opportunities for future research include: (1) improved uniformity of standards in measuring greenspace, (2) improved measures to account for large latency periods between greenspace exposure and developmental outcomes, and (3) more diverse study settings and populations.

The association between the presence of fast-food outlets and BMI: the role of neighbourhood socio-economic status, healthy food outlets, and dietary factors

Background

Evidence on the association between the presence of fast-food outlets and Body Mass Index (BMI) is inconsistent. Furthermore, mechanisms underlying the fast-food outlet presence-BMI association are understudied. We investigated the association between the number of fast-food outlets being present and objectively measured BMI. Moreover, we investigated to what extent this association was moderated by neighbourhood socio-economic status (NSES) and healthy food outlets. Additionally, we investigated mediation by frequency of fast-food consumption and amount of fat intake.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we used baseline data of adults in Lifelines (N = 149,617). Geo-coded residential addresses were linked to fast-food and healthy food outlet locations. We computed the number of fast-food and healthy food outlets within 1 kilometre (km) of participants’ residential addresses (each categorised into null, one, or at least two). Participants underwent objective BMI measurements. We linked data to Statistics Netherlands to compute NSES. Frequency of fast-food consumption and amount of fat intake were measured through questionnaires in Lifelines. Multivariable multilevel linear regression analyses were performed to investigate associations between fast-food outlet presence and BMI, adjusting for individual and environmental potential confounders. When exposure-moderator interactions had p-value < 0.10 or improved model fit (∆AIC ≥ 2), we conducted stratified analyses. We used causal mediation methods to assess mediation.

Results

Participants with one fast-food outlet within 1 km had a higher BMI than participants with no fast-food outlet within 1 km (B = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.21). Effect sizes for at least two fast-food outlets were larger in low NSES areas (B = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.57), and especially in low NSES areas where at least two healthy food outlets within 1 km were available (B = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.19, 1.31). Amount of fat intake, but not frequency of fast-food consumption, explained this association for 3.1%.

Conclusions

Participants living in low SES neighbourhoods with at least two fast-food outlets within 1 km of their residential address had a higher BMI than their peers with no fast-food outlets within 1 km. Among these participants, healthy food outlets did not buffer the potentially unhealthy impact of fast-food outlets. Amount of fat intake partly explained this association. This study highlights neighbourhood socio-economic inequalities regarding fast-food outlets and BMI.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13826-1.

The challenges of measuring social cohesion in public health research: A systematic review and ecometric meta-analysis

The relationship between social cohesion and health has been studied for decades. Yet, due to the contextual nature of this concept, measuring social cohesion remains challenging. Using a meta-analytical framework, this review's goal was to study the ecometric measurement properties of social cohesion in order to describe dissimilarities in its measurement as well as bring a new perspective on the empirical usefulness of the concept itself. To this end, we analysed if, and to what extent, contextual-level reliability and intersubjective agreement of 78 social cohesion measurements varied under different measurement conditions like measurement instrument, spatial unit, ecometric model specification, or region. We found consistent evidence for the contextual nature of social cohesion, however, most variation existed between individuals, not contexts. While contextual dependence in response behaviour was fairly insensitive to item choices, population size within chosen spatial units of social cohesion measurements mattered. Somewhat counterintuitively, using spatial units with, on average, fewer residents did not yield systematically superior ecometric properties. Instead, our results underline that precise theory about the relevant contextual units of causal relationships between social cohesion and health is vital and cannot be replaced by empirical analysis. Although adjustment for respondent's characteristics had only small effects on ecometric properties, potential pitfalls of this analytic strategy are discussed in this paper. Finally, acknowledging the sensitivity of measuring social cohesion, we derived recommendations for future studies investigating the effects of contextual-level social characteristics on health.

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Social cohesion aims to describe aspects of the social environment we live in but its measurement remains challenging.

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We meta-analysed the ecometric properties of 78 social cohesion measurements.

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There is modest but consistent evidence for the contextual nature of social cohesion.

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Contextual dependence in individual response behaviour is sensitive to the chosen spatial unit.

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Meta-ecometrics studies the empirical usefulness of theoretical concepts aiming to describe social environments.

Social Cohesion in Health: A Concept Analysis

The concept of social cohesion has been indicated to be a critical social determinant of health in recent literature. Inconsistencies surrounding the conceptualization and operationalization have made utilizing these findings to inform health intervention and policy difficult. The objective of this article is to provide a theoretical clarification of the concept "social cohesion," as it relates to health behaviors and outcomes by using the Rodgers' evolutionary method for concept analyses. This article uncovers the critical attributes, antecedents, and consequences of social cohesion and provides reflection on future use of social cohesion in health literature.

Social environment perception and associations with overweight in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil

The prevalence of overweight in Brazilian adults has grown in recent years. There is evidence indicating that environmental factors, especially social characteristics, may be involved in the aetiology of overweight, but few studies have investigated this association adequately. The main objective of this study was to identify residents' perception of their social environment (social cohesion, security and violence) and assess its relationship with overweight in a central area of Porto Alegre, Brazil. The associations between socioeconomic characteristics and social environment perception were also explored. This cross-sectional study conducted in 2018-19 had 400 participants aged from 20 to 70 years living in low- and high-income areas of the city of Porto Alegre. Participants' perception of social cohesion, security and violence were evaluated using a validated questionnaire. Participants' body mass index (BMI) was measured, and those with a BMI ≥25 kg/m2 were considered to be overweight. Unadjusted and adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated through Poisson regression analysis; level of significance was 5%. The prevalence of overweight in the sample was 68.8% (95% CI 64.0-73.2). Individuals with a more positive social cohesion perception had a higher prevalence of overweight (PR 1.06; 95% CI: 1.00-1.12; p=0.02) than those with a less positive perception. Brown individuals also had a higher prevalence of overweight (PR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.02-1.15; p=0.03) than those of other skin colour/race. No association was found between overweight and perception of security or violence. Therefore, social cohesion may be an important factor in overweight and the findings highlight the importance of considering social factors, and their perceptions, when planning actions for the prevention and control of overweight in a population.

Nontraditional Risk Factors for Obesity in Modern Society

Overweight and obesity, which have rapidly increased around the world in recent years, are significant health problems. They can lead to various morbidities, including cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, and even death. Obesity is caused by an energy imbalance due to excessive calorie intake and insufficient energy consumption, and genetic factors and individual behavioral problems are also known to be major contributing factors. However, these are insufficient to explain the surge in obesity that has occurred in recent decades. Recent studies have suggested that environmental factors arising from the process of socioeconomic development and modernization contribute to this phenomenon. These environmental factors include light pollution due to artificial lighting, air pollution, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and reduced exposure to green spaces due to urbanization of residential areas. In this manuscript, the findings and mechanisms of these novel risk factors causing overweight and obesity are reviewed.

Associations of social cohesion and quality of life with objective and perceived built environments: a latent profile analysis among seniors

BACKGROUND

Healthy aging requires support from local built and social environments. Using latent profile analysis, this study captured the multidimensionality of the built environment and examined relations between objective and perceived built environment profiles, neighborhood social cohesion and quality of life among seniors.

METHODS

In total, 693 participants aged 66-97 were sampled from two US locales in 2005-2008 as part of the Senior Neighborhood Quality of Life Study (SNQLS). Perceived social cohesion and quality of life were assessed using validated surveys. Six objective (geographic information system (GIS)-based) and seven perceived built environment latent profiles generated in previous SNQLS publications were used for analyses. Mixed-effects models estimated social cohesion and quality of life separately as a function of the built environment profiles.

RESULTS

More walkable and destination-rich perceived built environment profiles were associated with higher social cohesion and quality of life. Objective built environment profiles were not associated with social cohesion and only positively associated with quality of life in only one locale (Baltimore/DC).

CONCLUSIONS

Latent profile analysis offered a comprehensive approach to assessing the built environment. Seniors who perceived their neighborhoods to be highly walkable and recreationally dense experienced higher neighborhood social cohesion and quality of life, which may set the stage for healthier aging.

Greenspace with overweight and obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studies up to 2020

Several reviews have been conducted to assess the association between greenspace and overweight or obesity, but the conclusions were inconsistent. However, an updated comprehensive review and meta-analysis is warranted, because several high-quality papers have been published more recently. The objectives of this study are to systematically and quantitatively assess the evidence for a link between greenspace with overweight/obesity and to make specific recommendations for further research. We searched three English language databases, four Chinese language databases and the reference lists of previously published reviews for epidemiological studies on greenspace and overweight/obesity published before January 2020. We developed inclusion criteria, screened the literature and extracted key data from selected papers. We assessed methodological quality and risk of bias, and we graded the credibility of the pooled evidence. We also performed sensitivity analyses. Fifty-seven records met our inclusion criteria and were included in the study. Most studies were cross-sectional designs (81%) and were from developed nations (88%). More than half (55%) of the included studies found beneficial associations between greenspace and overweight/obesity in overall or subpopulations. Our meta-analytical results showed that greater normalized difference vegetation index was associated with lower odds of overweight/obesity in a statistically significant fashion (odds ratio [OR]: 0.88; 95% CI: 0.84, 0.91) but not residential proximity to greenspace (OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.99, 1.00), proportion of greenspace (OR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.85, 1.08) or number of parks in an area (OR: 0.99; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.01). However, we detected high between-study heterogeneity in two of the four meta-analyses, which reduced the credibility of the pooled evidence. Current evidence indicates that there might be an association between greater access to greenspace and lower odds of overweight/obesity. However, additional high-quality studies are needed to more definitively assess the evidence for a causal association.

Determinants of the Business Performance of Women Entrepreneurs in the Developing World Context

Resource-based theory posits the deployment of resources by entrepreneurs to achieve performance without questioning the possibility of deploying these resources. The question, however, remains how resources are deployed in developing countries that constrain the choice in the deployment of resources. To answer this, we analyse the factors determining the business performance of women entrepreneurs in a developing country context. Data were collected through a survey sent to 211 Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs engaged in handicraft businesses. Results from hierarchical multiple regression analyses show that (1) the social environment in terms of socio-cultural norms and customs hinders the performance; (2) the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) dimensions, namely, combined Innovative–proactive EO and Risk-taking EO, and the business trainings positively affect the performance; and (3) the social ties negatively influence the performance, which may be due to the excessive presence of strong ties in a personal social network. Based on results, we suggest that environment (context) is a contingent factor for the way personal traits such as EO, human, and social capital can be used by women entrepreneurs to achieve performance in a developing world context.

Greater social cohesion is associated with lower body mass index among African American adults

Obesity remains a public health issue, especially for Blacks (or African Americans). Obesity is thought to reflect a complex interaction of socioenvironmental, biological, and cognitive factors. Yet, insufficient attention has been given to psychosocial factors like social cohesion within the African American community. Using multivariable linear regression, we examined the association between social cohesion, measured by the Social Cohesion and Trust scale, and body mass index (BMI) with cross-sectional data (n = 1467) from a cohort study (2008–2009). Greater social cohesion was associated with lower BMI (b = -0.88; 95% CI: −1.45, −0.32) in an unadjusted model. The association was strengthened after further adjusting for relevant covariates (i.e., individual-level sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, and depressive symptoms) (b = -1.26; 95% CI: −1.94, −0.58). Future research should examine potential mechanisms underlying the association between social cohesion and BMI with longitudinal data. In the meantime, obesity prevention and intervention measures should consider promoting social ties and bonds to lower BMI in African American communities.

Systematic review of salutogenic-oriented lifestyle randomised controlled trials for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVE

Describe the characteristics (development, intensity, deliverers, setting, strategies) and assess the effect of salutogenic-oriented lifestyle interventions on physical and psychosocial health outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

METHOD

PubMed, Scopus and PsycINFO were systematically searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published up to August 2019 that complied with predefined salutogenic criteria: the participant as a whole, the participant's active involvement and the participant's individual learning process. Characteristics of the salutogenic-oriented interventions with and without significant results were compared and qualitatively summarised.

RESULTS

Twenty-eight RCTs were identified. Salutogenic oriented interventions that significantly improved both physical and psychosocial health were characterized by being based on formative research, culturally targeted, and delivered in 10-20 sessions in group settings, whereas salutogenic oriented interventions that neither improved physical or psychosocial health significantly were characterized by being individually tailored and delivered in less than 10 group sessions in individual settings.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review suggests that salutogenic-oriented lifestyle interventions are effective for physical and psychosocial health in the short term. More research is needed to determine how intervention characteristics moderate (long-term) effectiveness.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The results provide a basis for purposefully developing effective salutogenic interventions for adults with T2DM.

Neighbourhood community life and health: A systematic review of reviews

Neighbourhood community life has been widely recognized as an important determinant of population health. This systematic review of reviews provides an overview of the evidence for the ecological correlation between neighbourhood community life and population health. Nine databases were searched from 2008 to 2018 in order to identify systematic reviews of studies examining the association between neighbourhood community life and population health in urban neighbourhoods within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. Two reviewers completed selection and data extraction, then assessed the methodological quality of reviews using the Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews. We identified three high quality reviews and five of moderate quality. The reviews vary in quality of methodology, concepts, and measures. Most of the reviews examined the influence of social cohesion, social capital, and social interactions on health. Reviews found evidence supporting a consistently favourable correlation between social cohesion and physical activity, as well as a favourable trend in the relationship between social cohesion and healthy weight. They also found evidence of a favourable trend in the correlation between social capital and healthy weight. Reviews identified studies supporting a consistently favourable correlation between social interaction and depression. We identify evidence of a positive association between neighbourhood community life and several population health outcomes. Future research should define and conceptualize neighbourhood community life factors and health indicators to improve the comparison between studies and the process of evidence synthesis. This will also enable policy makers to take appropriate decisions.

Barriers and facilitators of midwives' physical activity behaviour in hospital and community contexts in Scotland

AIMS

To investigate barriers and facilitators of physical activity in midwives in hospital and community environments.

DESIGN

A sequential mixed-methods approach.

DATA SOURCES

Focus groups and subsequent questionnaire survey.

METHODS

Four focus groups were conducted in urban and rural areas with community and hospital-based midwives in Scotland in 2015. Topics were based on the behaviour change theories via the Theoretical Domains Framework. Findings informed development of a questionnaire, sent to midwives in 2016 in Scottish health boards via managers, or online survey.

RESULTS

Thirty-three midwives participated in focus groups. Workplace environmental context and resources were both barriers and facilitators. Similarly, negative social influences were barriers, whereas positive social support facilitated physical activity. The questionnaire was completed by 345 midwives. Most (90%) were physically active with high levels of activity. Commonest activities included walking, swimming and housework. Physical activity facilitators included subsidized classes and protected breaks. Barriers included tiredness, stress, family responsibilities, unpredictable breaks and shift patterns.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions should address midwives' workplace context and resources and interpersonal factors such as stress and social support.

IMPACT

Midwives' high levels of overweight/obesity and stress impact on their own health and delivery of patient care. More workplace physical activity could help. We found most were physically active but identified workplace barriers and facilitators, including resources, shift patterns and breaks. Findings could help midwifery managers to recognize and reduce barriers, thereby improving midwives' physical activity in the workplace, supporting weight management and enhancing their health and well-being.

Neighbourhood social capital and obesity: a systematic review of the literature

Social capital, defined as the resources accessed by individuals and groups through social connections, has been posited to be a social determinant of obesity. However, empirical evidence for this association has been inconsistent - namely, some studies have found a protective association while others have reported no correlation. We sought to conduct a systematic review on the relation between neighbourhood social capital and obesity, considering potential differences on the results based on the measures used and the covariates and mediators included in the studies. PRISMA statement guidelines were followed. Our results indicate that an association between neighbourhood social capital and obesity exists, but that it depends on the measures and covariates used in the study design. Understanding the role of social capital in the development and/or maintenance of obesity will require the use of strong methodological designs and a thorough conceptualization of how this relationship may arise.

The Moderating Role of Social Neighbourhood Factors in the Association between Features of the Physical Neighbourhood Environment and Weight Status

BACKGROUND

This paper investigated the independent and joint associations between aspects of the physical neighbourhood environment and social neighbourhood factors with BMI and overweight status in European adults.

METHODS

Data from 5,199 participants in the SPOTLIGHT survey were analysed. Participants reported on their height, weight and perceptions of the neighbourhood. Objectively measured aspects of the physical neighbourhood environment included: presence of recreational facilities, features of the active transportation environment, neighbourhood aesthetics and presence of different types of food outlets. Social factors included the self-reported variables social network, social cohesion, social trust and perceived crime and the census variable neighbourhood socioeconomic status. Outcome measures were BMI and overweight status. Main associations between physical and social factors and BMI/overweight status were analysed using multilevel regression analyses adjusted for confounders. Moderation analysis was conducted by adding the interaction terms between physical and social neighbourhood factors one by one to the multivariable models. Significant interaction terms were then stratified.

RESULTS

Significant associations with BMI/overweight status were found for features of the active transportation environment and all social factors, except perceived crime. Several significant interaction terms were detected, but no significant associations between the physical neighbourhood environment and BMI/overweight status were found after stratification.

CONCLUSION

We did not find consistent interactions between physical and social neighbourhood factors to explain BMI and overweight status.

The mediating role of social capital in the association between neighbourhood income inequality and body mass index

Background

Neighbourhood income inequality may contribute to differences in body weight. We explored whether neighbourhood social capital mediated the association of neighbourhood income inequality with individual body mass index (BMI).

Methods

A total of 4126 adult participants from 48 neighbourhoods in France, Hungary, the Netherlands and the UK provided information on their levels of income, perceptions of neighbourhood social capital and BMI. Factor analysis of the 13-item social capital scale revealed two social capital constructs: social networks and social cohesion. Neighbourhood income inequality was defined as the ratio of the amount of income earned by the top 20% and the bottom 20% in a given neighbourhood. Two single mediation analyses-using multilevel linear regression analyses-with neighbourhood social networks and neighbourhood social cohesion as possible mediators-were conducted using MacKinnon's product-of-coefficients method, adjusted for age, gender, education and absolute household income.

Results

Higher neighbourhood income inequality was associated with elevated levels of BMI and lower levels of neighbourhood social networks and neighbourhood social cohesion. High levels of neighbourhood social networks were associated with lower BMI. Results stratified by country demonstrate that social networks fully explained the association between income inequality and BMI in France and the Netherlands. Social cohesion was only a significant mediating variable for Dutch participants.

Conclusion

The results suggest that in some European urban regions, neighbourhood social capital plays a large role in the association between neighbourhood income inequality and individual BMI.

Interaction between Social/Psychosocial Factors and Genetic Variants on Body Mass Index: A Gene-Environment Interaction Analysis in a Longitudinal Setting

Obesity, which develops over time, is one of the leading causes of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease. However, hundreds of BMI (body mass index)-associated genetic loci identified through large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) only explain about 2.7% of BMI variation. Most common human traits are believed to be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Past studies suggest a variety of environmental features that are associated with obesity, including socioeconomic status and psychosocial factors. This study combines both gene/regions and environmental factors to explore whether social/psychosocial factors (childhood and adult socioeconomic status, social support, anger, chronic burden, stressful life events, and depressive symptoms) modify the effect of sets of genetic variants on BMI in European American and African American participants in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). In order to incorporate longitudinal phenotype data collected in the HRS and investigate entire sets of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within gene/region simultaneously, we applied a novel set-based test for gene-environment interaction in longitudinal studies (LGEWIS). Childhood socioeconomic status (parental education) was found to modify the genetic effect in the gene/region around SNP rs9540493 on BMI in European Americans in the HRS. The most significant SNP (rs9540488) by childhood socioeconomic status interaction within the rs9540493 gene/region was suggestively replicated in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) (p = 0.07).

The Upstream Determinants of Adult Obesity

Over-consumption of high-energy foods and a lack of physical activity are the main behavioural risk factors for people to develop obesity. These behaviours are influenced by a range of individual-level factors which are nested within contexts that contain influencing characteristics further upstream. In this paper, we define these upstream determinants. We also provide a historical background, summarise the current evidence base regarding these determinants across various types of environments and put them in perspective.