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A Spatial Econometric Analysis of Adult Obesity: Evidence from Canada

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Abstract

This paper examines spatial pattern of adult obesity in Canada from 2000/01 to 2009/10, and analyzes factors associated with obesity and body mass index (BMI). The analysis is based on a panel data set constructed at the health region (HR) level using five confidential Canadian Community Health Surveys. We found that obesity rates are not distributed randomly across HRs in Canada (Moran’s I, 2000/01: 0.501 and 2009/10: 0.659 [p < 0.001]). Therefore, accounting for the spatial pattern of obesity was necessary in order to obtain reliable parameter estimates from regression analyses. We estimated the random- and fixed-effects specifications for the spatial autoregressive and spatial error models. The Hausman specification tests suggested that the fixed-effects models were preferred to that of the random-effects models. The results showed that the proportions of immigrants and homeowners are inversely related to BMI and obesity, while household income, fruits & vegetables consumption, physical activity and smoking are negatively related to BMI. These findings highlight the importance of socioeconomic and behavioural factors affecting adult obesity in Canada even after spatial heterogeneity was accounted for. Thus, a comprehensive and multi-faceted strategy is required to combat adult obesity in Canada.

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Notes

  1. We also performed our analysis using inverse distance weight matrix. In order to construct the inverse distance weight matrix, we derived latitude and longitude coordinates of the centroids of each HR using ArcGIS then the “spmat” procedure developed in STATA was used to generate the W. The results using inverse distance weight matrix are very similar to the estimation using a queen contiguity criterion in the construction of weight matrix.

  2. The sum of all local indices (I i ) is proportional to the global value of Moran’s I statistic.

  3. Using data from the 2005 CCHS (20 years older), Pouliou and Elliott (2009) also found a significant positive autocorrelation across HRs for age-standardized overweight (Moran’s I: 0.2308, p-value 0.004) and obesity rates (Moran’s I: 0.5383, p-value 0.5383 < 0.001) in Canada.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank an anonymous reviewer of this journal and participants of the 11th annual Canadian Health Economist’s Study Group (CHESG) held at the University of Alberta for helpful comments and discussion, and Simon Hollands for his research assistance. Funding for this research by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) operating grant (reference number: MOP–97763) is gratefully acknowledged. The analysis presented in this paper was conducted at the University of Western Ontario Research Data Centre (UWO-RDC) which is part of the Canadian Research Data Centre Network (CRDCN). The services and activities provided by the UWO-RDC are made possible by the financial or in-kind support of the SSHRC, the CIHR, the CFI, Statistics Canada and the University of Western Ontario. The views expressed in this paper, however, are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of CRDCN’s or that of its partners’ or any affiliated organization.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health Administration, Faculty of Health Profession, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

    Mohammad Hajizadeh

  2. Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, N6A 5C1, Ontario, Canada

    M. Karen Campbell & Sisira Sarma

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

    M. Karen Campbell

  4. Department of Paediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

    M. Karen Campbell

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Hajizadeh, M., Campbell, M.K. & Sarma, S. A Spatial Econometric Analysis of Adult Obesity: Evidence from Canada. Appl. Spatial Analysis 9, 329–363 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12061-015-9151-5

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