Effects of proximate foreclosed properties on individuals' weight gain in Massachusetts, 1987-2008.

Objectives: We assessed the extent to which living near foreclosed properties is associated with individuals' subsequent weight gain.

Methods: We linked health and address information on 2068 Framingham Offspring Cohort members (7830 assessments) across 5 waves (1987-2008) to records of all Massachusetts foreclosures during that period. We used counts of lender-owned foreclosed properties within 100 meters of participants' homes to predict body mass index (BMI; defined as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) and the odds of being overweight (BMI ≥ 25), adjusted for individual and area-level covariates.

Results: Mean BMI increased from 26.6 in 1987-1991 to 28.5 in 2005-2008; overweight prevalence increased from 59.0% to 71.3%. Foreclosures were within 100 meters of 159 (7.8%) participants' homes on 187 occasions (1.8%), in 42 municipalities (21%). For each additional foreclosure, BMI increased by 0.20 units (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.03, 0.36), and the odds ratio for being overweight associated with proximity to a foreclosure was 1.77 (95% CI = 1.02, 3.05).

Conclusions: We found a robust association between living near foreclosures and BMI, suggesting that neighbors' foreclosures may spur weight gain.