Association between the density of food environment and obesity in eight communities in and around Vancouver

Obesity is a growing health concern in Canada and worldwide. The role of environmental factors in obesity has recently been the centre of attention of some researchers. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the density of food environment is associated with BMI and WC of adults aged 35 to 70 years who reside in eight communities in and around Vancouver. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 1393 men and women were recruited. Multiple linear regression analysis adjusted for socio-demographic factors were run to test the associations between the density of food environment and BMI and WC. The density of convenience stores and baked goods stores had a significant positive association with adult BMI while the density of limited-service restaurants showed negative association with BMI. Further, the density of convenience stores was positively associated with WC, while the density of specialty stores and limited-service restaurants were negatively associated with WC.