Does a sprawling neighborhood affect obesity? Evidence from Indonesia

This study combined individual-level longitudinal data from the Indonesian Family Life Survey and subdistrict-level land cover data to investigate whether a neighborhood ’s physical form affects individuals’ obesity status. We controlled for individual and location fixed-effect to account for individuals’ sorting preferences and unobserved heterogeneity at the subdistrict level. Our results suggest that a sprawling neighborhood corresponds to a lower body mass index, particularly among males. We also show that consumption behavior can explain this mechanism.
Source: International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics - Category: Health Management Source Type: research