A comparison of the spatial dependence of body mass index in adults and children in a general Swiss population

I. Guessous, S. Joost , E. Jeannot, J-M. Theler, P. Mahler, J-M. Gaspoz & the GIRAPH group
A comparison of the spatial dependence of body mass index among adults and children in a Swiss general populationNutrition & Diabetes, 10 March 2014, doi: 10.1038/nutd.2014.8

Abstract

Background: Body mass index (BMI) may cluster spatially in adults and show spatial dependence. However, it is unknown whether BMI also clusters in children and how age-specific BMI clustering is related. Our aim was to identify and compare the spatial dependence of BMI in adults and children in a general Swiss population, taking into account the income level of the region.

Methods: Georeferenced data from the Bus Santé study (adults, n=6663) and the Geneva School Health Service (children, n=3601) were used. We used global (Moran index) and local (local indicators of spatial association - LISA) indices of spatial autocorrelation to study the spatial dependence of BMI in adults (35-74 years) and children (6-7 years). Weight and height were measured using standardised procedures. Five spatial autocorrelation classes (LISA clusters) were defined, including the high-high BMI class (participant's high BMI value is correlated with neighbours' high mean BMI values).

Results: Among adults and children, BMI was clearly not randomly distributed across the canton of Geneva. The BMI of adults and children was associated with the average BMI of their neighbourhood. We found that clusters of high BMI in adults and children were located in close but different areas of the canton. Significant clusters of high versus low BMI were clearly identified in both adults and children. The income level of the area was associated with BMI clusters in children.

Conclusions: BMI clusters show specific spatial dependence in adults and children in the general population. Using a fine-scale spatial analytic approach, we identified specific clusters across the life course, which could guide tailored interventions.

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