ArticlePreventive medicine2015
Quasi-causal associations of physical activity and neighborhood walkability with body mass index: a twin study.
Article in Preventive medicine, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed.
- Leisure-Time Physical Activity on Age-Modelled Trajectories of Body Mass Index and Obesity Risk Throughout Life: Multivariable Regression and Mendelian Randomization Analyses Using Electronic Health Record Data From the CORDELIA-Catalunya Study.Diabetes, obesity & metabolism · 2026Article
- The Association between the Obesogenic Environment and BMI Independent of Familial Factors: A Cross-Sectional Twin Study.Obesity facts · 2026Article
- Cross-Sectional Study of Location-Based Built Environments, Physical Activity, Dietary Intake, and Body Mass Index in Adult Twins.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Epigenome-wide association study of physical activity and physiological parameters in discordant monozygotic twins.Scientific reports · 2022Article
- Cross-sectional associations between neighbourhood walkability and objective physical activity levels in identical twins.BMJ open · 2022Article
- A comprehensive bibliometrics of 'walkability' research landscape: visualization of the scientific progress and future prospects.Environmental science and pollution research international · 2021Review
- Obesity and the Built Environment: A Reappraisal.Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) · 2020Review
- Cohort Profile: TWINS study of environment, lifestyle behaviours and health.International journal of epidemiology · 2019Article
- The Moving to Health (M2H) approach to natural experiment research: A paradigm shift for studies on built environment and health.SSM - population health · 2019Article
- Bringing health into transportation and land use scenario planning: Creating a National Public Health Assessment Model (N-PHAM).Journal of transport & health · 2018Article
- Examination of Cross-Sectional Associations of Neighborhood Deprivation and Alcohol Outlet Density With Hazardous Drinking Using a Twin Design.Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs · 2018Article
- Obesity, diet quality, physical activity, and the built environment: the need for behavioral pathways.BMC public health · 2016Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivePhysical activity, neighborhood walkability, and body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)) associations were tested using quasi-experimental twin methods. We hypothesized that physical activity and walkability were independently associated with BMI within twin pairs, controlling for genetic and environmental background shared between them.
methodsData were from 6376 (64% female; 58% identical) same-sex pairs, University of Washington Twin Registry, 2008-2013. Neighborhood walking, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and BMI were self-reported. Residential address was used to calculate walkability. Phenotypic (non-genetically informed) and biometric (genetically informed) regression was employed, controlling for age, sex, and race.
resultsWalking and MVPA were associated with BMI in phenotypic analyses; associations were attenuated but significant in biometric analyses (Ps<0.05). Walkability was not associated with BMI, however, was associated with walking (but not MVPA) in both phenotypic and biometric analyses (Ps<0.05), with no attenuation accounting for shared genetic and environmental background.
conclusionsThe association between activity and BMI is largely due to shared genetic and environmental factors, but a significant causal relationship remains accounting for shared background. Although walkability is not associated with BMI, it is associated with neighborhood walking (but not MVPA) accounting for shared background, suggesting a causal relationship between them.
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