Childhood obesity has become a formidable public health challenge in the United States, posing a risk of various downstream health complications for young people. While the drivers of childhood obesity's increasing prevalence are multifaceted, one of its key behavioural causes is the increased adoption of sedentary lifestyles. An essential component in combatting sedentism is the availability of safe and accessible spaces for children to engage in recreational activities such as playing outside or participating in sports, a privilege that is marked by racial, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities.
In the December 2024 publication of JAMA Network Open, Li Yi and colleagues examined the correlation between access to green spaces and the prevalence of childhood obesity. Using spatial technology and longitudinal health records analysed throughout childhood, the authors found that youths with greater access to green spaces showed lower rates of obesity. GlobalData epidemiologists forecast that between 2025 and 2031, the diagnosed prevalent cases of obesity among children ages five to 17 years are expected to increase from approximately 10,612,000 to over 10,821,000. Further exploration of the spatial and social forces that shape this trend, and more importantly the implementation of policies that encourage healthy lifestyles such as increasing green space access, could help curb the childhood obesity crisis in the US.
Yi and colleagues analysed the relationship between green spaces and childhood obesity in a longitudinal study among 843 children between the ages of seven and eight years old, with the study's conclusion taking place in late adolescence. Between 2007 and 2021, anthropometric measures of adiposity, including body mass index (BMI), fat mass index, and waist circumference, were collected. Green spaces, which were defined by the presence of trees, grass, and other vegetation, were observed through street view and satellite imagery. As seen in Figure 1 (below), when adjusting for factors such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status, the authors found that living within 270 meters of green spaces was significantly inversely correlated with collected measures of childhood obesity, as exemplified by BMI. Furthermore, this pattern was observed among children living within 500m of green spaces as well.
While the relationship between active or sedentary lifestyles and childhood obesity has been well-documented, Yi and colleagues draw attention to the critical role of spatial disparities that often underpin this association. Observing the long-term effects of access to green spaces on measures of adiposity, the authors advocate for policymaking and urban planning that is more conscientious of the interplay between greeneries and residents' health outcomes. While a growing number of municipalities have dedicated resources toward "re-greening" urban environments with the aim of improving aesthetics, quality of life, and environmental justice, these efforts may be stymied in areas marred by poverty and spatial disparities.