Food Environments Within and Outside of Schools Play a Critical Role in Curtailing the Rise in Obesity among School-Aged Children over Time.

Background: Sound evidence for effective community-based strategies is needed to curtail upward trends in childhood obesity in the United States (US).

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the association between school and community food environments and the prevalence of obesity over time.

Methods: Data were collected from K-12 schools in 4 low-income New Jersey cities in the US.

Farm to school programs in low-income, high minority K-12 schools in New Jersey before and after implementation of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act.

We analyzed the prevalence of farm to school (FTS) programs in K-12 schools in four low-income, high-minority cities in New Jersey before and after implementation of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), between school years 2010-11 and 2017-18. Multivariable logistic regression was used to model FTS participation and the prevalence of FTS before versus after HHFKA initiation. Schools showed a significant positive trend in FTS participation (OR 1.

The relationship between changes in neighborhood physical environment and changes in physical activity among children: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Physical activity (PA) is associated with positive health outcomes over the entire life course. Many community-based interventions that promote PA focus on implementing incremental changes to existing facilities and infrastructure. The objective of this study was to determine if such upgrades were associated with increases in children's PA.

Differential Associations Between Changes in Food Environment and Changes in BMI Among Adults Living in Urban, Low-Income Communities.

Background: Food environments can contribute to excess weight gain among adults, but the evidence is mixed.

Objectives: This longitudinal study investigated the associations between changes in the food environment and changes in BMI in adults and whether changes in the food environment differentially impact various subgroups.

Methods: At 2 time points, BMI was calculated using self-reported height and weight data from 517 adults (mean age, 41 years) living in 4 New Jersey cities.

Active commuting to school: A longitudinal analysis examining persistence of behavior over time in four New Jersey cities.

Evidence suggests that healthy behaviors initiated during childhood may continue over time. The objective of this study was to determine whether active commuting to/from school (ACS) at baseline predicted continued ACS at follow-up two to five years later. Two cohorts of households with 3-15 year-olds in four low-income New Jersey cities were randomly sampled and followed for two to five year periods between 2009 and 2017.