The likelihood of a person becoming severely obese and developing diabetes may be linked to the affluence of their neighbourhood, a new study has revealed.
The research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, analysed data from 4,500 mothers living in public housing over a four year period, and found that the women living in neighbourhoods with high levels of poverty were more likely to be obese and have diabetes than those in low-poverty areas.
Under the US government's Moving to Opportunity program, 1,788 women were given housing vouchers that could only be used if they moved to neighbourhoods with a poverty level of less than 10 per cent, while another 1,312 women received vouchers that could be used in any area. The remaining 1,398 were not given any vouchers or counselling on moving, unlike the other groups.
Ten years later, researchers collected follow-up data on the women including measurements of height, weight and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) – a long term measure of blood sugar levels .
They found that the voucher for moving into a low-poverty area seemed to have an effect on those classed as seriously obese (BMI of 35 or over), with around 31 per cent of women who got the voucher having BMI's of 35 or more, compared to 36 per cent of those who didn't receive a voucher.
In addition, slightly less people who got a better-neighbourhood voucher were found to be morbidly obese (BMI of 40 or higher) or have diabetes than those in the control (non-voucher) group.
Lead author of the study Jens Ludwig, of the University of Chicago, said the results were "modest but potentially important."
She commented: "The effects we see in the study are comparable to what you see from targeted lifestyle interventions or with providing people with medications to prevent the onset of diabetes ."
Co-author Dr. Robert Whitaker of Temple University said the findings "suggest that improving the environments of low-income urban neighbourhoods might improve the duration and quality of life for the residents and lower health care expenditures".
Moving To Low-Poverty Areas Linked To Lower Diabetes Risk
Thu, 20 Oct 2011
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