ArticlePloS one2018
Associations of perceived neighbourhood safety from traffic and crime with overweight/obesity among South African adults of low-socioeconomic status.
Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Healthy Aging Adult South Africa report card: a systematic review of the evidence between 2013 and 2020 for middle-aged South African men and women.Cardiovascular journal of AfricaPooled it
- Obesity, beverage consumption and sleep patterns in rural African women in relation to advertising of these beverages.International health · 2025Article
- Neighborhood Characteristics Related to Changes in Anthropometrics During a Lifestyle Intervention for Persons with Obesity.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2025Article
- Obesogenic Environment in a Minas Gerais State Metropolis, Brazil: Analysis of Crime Rates, Food Shops and Physical Activity Venues.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
- Secular trends and sociodemographic disparities in physical activity among adults in eleven African countries: WHO STEPS 2003-2020.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2024Article
- Association between Young People's Neighbourhoods' Characteristics and Health Risk Factors in Saudi Arabia.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Is city-level travel time by car associated with individual obesity or diabetes in Latin American cities? Evidence from 178 cities in the SALURBAL project.Cities (London, England) · 2022Article
- Association of social capital with obesity among older adults in China: a cross-sectional analysis.BMC geriatrics · 2022Article
- Prevalence of stressful life events and associations with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder among people entering care for HIV in Cameroon.Journal of affective disorders · 2022Article
- Perceived neighborhood safety and exercise behavior among community dwellers in Gauteng, South Africa.Medicine · 2020Article
- Prostate Cancer Screening in Middle-Aged and Older American Men: Combined Effects of Ethnicity and Years of Schooling.Hospital practices and research · 2020Article
- Educational Attainment and Exercise Frequency in American Women; Blacks' Diminished Returns.Women's health bulletin · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe relationship between perceived neighbourhood safety from traffic and crime with overweight/obesity can provide intervention modalities for obesity, yet no relevant study has been conducted in sub-Saharan African contexts. We investigated the association between perceived neighbourhood safety from traffic and crime with overweight/obesity among urban South African adults.
methodsThis cross-sectional study included 354 adults aged ≥35 years drawn from the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) cohort study. The Neighborhood Walkability Scale-Africa (NEWS-A) was used to evaluate the perceived neighbourhood safety. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to examine the associations between perceived neighborhood safety and overweight/obesity defined "normal weight" and "overweight/obese" using the 25 Kg/m2 cutoff criterion.
resultsIn the overall sample, adults who agreed that "the speed of traffic on most nearby roads in their neighborhood was usually slow" were less likely to be overweight/obese (adjusted OR = 0.42; 95%CI 0.23-0.76). Those who agreed that "there was too much crime in their neighborhood to go outside for walks or play during the day" were more likely to be overweight/obese (OR = 2.41; 1.09-5.29). These associations were driven by significant associations in women, and no association in men, with significant statistical interactions.
conclusionPerceived neighborhood safety from traffic and crime was associated with overweight/obesity among South African adults. Our findings provide preliminary evidence on the need to secure safer environments for walkability. Future work should also consider perceptions of the neighbourhood related to food choice.
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