The changing food environment and neighborhood prevalence of type 2 diabetes

Abstract

In this ecological study, we used longitudinal data to assess if changes in neighborhood food environments were associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prevalence, controlling for a host of neighborhood characteristics and spatial error correlation. We found that the population-adjusted prevalence of fast-food and pizza restaurants, grocery stores, and full-service restaurants along with changes in their numbers from 1990 to 2010 were associated with 2015 T2DM prevalence. The results suggested that neighborhoods where fast-food restaurants have increased and neighborhoods where full-service restaurants have decreased over time may be especially important targets for educational campaigns or other public health-related T2DM interventions.

Highlights

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  1990 food environments predict Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) by 2015, controlling for SES and neighborhood walkability.

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  Fewer 1990 restaurants & more fast food/pizza outlets meant higher 2015 T2DM.

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  Increases in fast food/pizza outlets relate to higher 2015 diabetes prevalence.

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  The top 5% influx of fast food/pizza outlets would result in 12,000 more T2DM cases.

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  Implications: interventions to improve food environments might reduce T2DM.