ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The relationships between environmental correlates of adolescent obesity are complex and not yet well defined by current research, especially when considering age and gender. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test a model of proximal (home) and distal (neighbourhood) environmental correlates of obesity for adolescent age and gender groups. METHODS: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study, using the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health of 39 542 children ages 11-17 years. RESULTS: The model fit the data well for early adolescents (ages 11-14 years) (root mean square standard error of approximation [RMSEA] 0.040, 90% confidence interval [CI]: 0.039-0.041; comparative fit index [CFI] 0.947; Tucker-Lewis index [TLI] 0.929) and middle adolescents (ages 15-17 years) (RMSEA 0.037, 90% CI: 0.036-0.038; CFI 0.052; TLI 0.937). The model also fit the data well for boy adolescents (RMSEA 0.038, 90% CI: 0.037-0.039; CFI 0.951; TLI 0.935) and girl adolescents (RMSEA 0.038, 90% CI: 0.037-0.040; CFI 0.949; TLI 0.932). CONCLUSIONS: All models provide loadings of the environmental correlates of adolescent obesity for specific age and gender groups that can be used for early identification of risks and targeted interventions.
