Childhood obesity growth slowed by half just two years into the ambitious redevelopment of a South L.A. neighborhood
Redesigning low-income neighborhoods to promote healthy behaviors may help combat childhood obesity, suggests a new USC study examining the early impacts of a major public housing redevelopment in Los Angeles.
About 1 in 3 U.S. children have obesity or overweight, and rates are disproportionately higher among minority populations and those in low-income households. These children are more likely to live in low-quality housing and face challenging neighborhood conditions that could affect health, such as limited access to parks and fresh food as well as higher crime rates.
Two years into a decade-long $1 billion redevelopment of the Jordan Downs public housing community in Watts, growth in childhood obesity and overweight was reduced by half compared with similar nearby communities, finds USC research published in Pediatrics this month. There were also marked improvements in healthy behaviors.
“Housing and neighborhood improvements, even in a relatively short amount of time, may significantly slow down the onset of childhood obesity,” said lead author Victoria Shier, a scholar at the USC Schaeffer Institute. “It’s important to keep monitoring results as redevelopment progresses.”
A natural experiment
Previous efforts to leverage neighborhood design to combat obesity have largely focused on targeted interventions, such as adding grocery stores or green spaces. The ongoing redevelopment of Jordan Downs into a mixed-income urban village offers a rare opportunity to examine “whole-of-community” efforts.
Jordan Downs, built in the 1950s, had about 700 housing units with aging infrastructure when redevelopment began in 2017. Over time, these units are being replaced with modernized homes for the original residents, and over 700 new mixed-income units and a range of amenities and safety features are being added to the community.
USC researchers early on launched the Watts Neighborhood Health Study to examine the relationship between built environment and obesity. Before any redevelopment features had been completed, researchers collected data from 1,600 adults and children living in Jordan Downs and two comparable public housing communities that were not being redeveloped. In addition to providing physical measurements, residents completed surveys on neighborhood conditions, physical activity and diet. In each neighborhood, about half of children had obesity or overweight.
Researchers collected follow-up data over the next two years, at which time about one-third of the Jordan Downs redevelopment had been completed. In addition to 250 new housing units and nearly a dozen retailers, including a supermarket and gym, the redevelopment had added green spaces and community parks, pedestrian- and bike-friendly tree-lined streets, and security cameras.
Promising Results
For the new study, researchers analyzed data for 399 children at Jordan Downs and the nearby public housing communities. After two years, compared with children at the other communities:
- The rate of obesity and overweight grew 50% slower in Jordan Downs
- Increases in body mass index were 14% lower
- Children had one less sugary drink per day
- Children were 50% more likely to be physically active in their neighborhood, while sedentary behavior declined.
The researchers noted that redeveloped areas offered safer opportunities for children to play and exercise in the neighborhood. The increase in physical activity may have also contributed to the decrease in sugary drink consumption, though it’s possible other factors—such as improved confidence in safety of the water supply—played a role.
“These early results are encouraging and suggest remarkable long-term benefits if trends hold as redevelopment continues,” said Ashlesha Datar, principal investigator of the Watts Neighborhood Health Study and senior economist with the Center for Economic and Social Research at the Schaeffer Institute. “Preventing childhood obesity at this level would help meaningfully reduce chronic disease later in life.”
The USC team is planning follow-up studies that will also track health indicators, such as blood biomarkers and blood pressure. More information about the research project is available here.
About the study
The other authors are Jose Scott, Ying Liu and Tadeja Gracner, all of USC, and Elizabeth Wong of the Boston University School of Social Work. This study was supported by the National Cancer Institute (R01CA228058) and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD096293).
