The Food Environment and Its Association With Obesity in Women From Northwest Mexico

Objectives: To analyze the association between the external and internal dimensions of the food environment in marginalized areas of a city in Northwest Mexico and the presence of obesity in adult women. Methods: External dimensions (variety, prices, marketing, and establishment density) and internal dimensions (accessibility, affordability, convenience, and desirability) of the local food environment were assessed through surveys, inventories, and geospatial areas. Anthropometric measurements were also taken from 104 adult women. Results: Concerning external dimensions, the variety of healthy foods had a protective effect on BMI and obesity, while convenience store density was positively associated with BMI, waist circumference, and obesity (β= -0.24, OR= 0.86, p < 0.05; β= 0.74, β= 1.85, OR= 1.76, p < 0.05, respectively). Related to internal dimensions, participants' convenience (basing purchases on food variety) was associated with lower waist circumference (β= -10.2, p< 0.05). Women with obesity were more likely to consider front-of-package warning labels in their food selection (OR: 3.9, p< 0.05). Conclusions: Present results indicate associations between the external and internal dimensions of the food environment and obesity in participants of this study. However, for a deeper understanding, analyses of the interrelationship between food environment dimensions and obesity are needed. Funding Sources: This research was funded by the National Council of Humanities, Sciences, and Technologies (CONAHCYT).