UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Carpenter, Nanette B.
Dept./Program:
Nursing
Year:
2013
Degree:
MS
Abstract:
The steady rise in childhood obesity over the past four decades has caused national and international concern regarding the detrimental long-term health consequences such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. In the U.S., 16.9 % of children and adolescents are obese. Research focuses on available green space in urban areas and the body mass index (BMI) of children and suggests an association between children residing in greener areas and concomitant lower BMIs. In the spring of 2013, BMIs of children ages 6-10 were compared in two Vermont schools; one urban with minimal green space and the other in a rural setting with double the green space. Height and weight data were retrieved from the health records of 88 students in the rural town school and 171 students in the urban area school to calculate their BMIs.
Green space was measured from ground blueprints at each school. The percent of green space at each school was correlated with the BMI data in an attempt to determine the potential relationship between childhood obesity and green space in a rural U.S. setting. Mean BMls of student's ages 6-10 at the two schools were compared using two-sample t tests. The proportion of children at each school who met the criteria for obesity was compared using a Fisher's exact test, with adjustment for age and gender via stratification. For females and males combined, the mean BMI at age 6 was significantly higher for the school with more green space as compared to the school with less green space. The mean BMI for all females was 3% lower in the school with more green space compared to the school with less green space. For males, the mean BMI was higher in the school with more green space than in the school with less green space.
Green space was measured from ground blueprints at each school. The percent of green space at each school was correlated with the BMI data in an attempt to determine the potential relationship between childhood obesity and green space in a rural U.S. setting. Mean BMls of student's ages 6-10 at the two schools were compared using two-sample t tests. The proportion of children at each school who met the criteria for obesity was compared using a Fisher's exact test, with adjustment for age and gender via stratification. For females and males combined, the mean BMI at age 6 was significantly higher for the school with more green space as compared to the school with less green space. The mean BMI for all females was 3% lower in the school with more green space compared to the school with less green space. For males, the mean BMI was higher in the school with more green space than in the school with less green space.