Neighbourhood effects on body constitution : a case study of Hong Kong
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
Social Science & Medicine
Publication Date
6-2016
Volume
158
First Page
61
Last Page
74
Publisher
Pergamon Press
Keywords
Hong Kong, Neighbourhood effect, Body constitution, Multilevel model, Traditional chinese medicine (TCM), Geographic information system (GIS)
Abstract
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has long perceived environment as an integral part of the development of body constitution, which is a personal state of health closely related to disease presence. Despite of the ever-growing studies on the clinical effectiveness of TCM and the scientific linking between body constitution and diseases, the geographical influence on body constitution has yet remained an unexplored territory. This study sought to investigate whether the neighbourhood environment is relevant to the composition of body type of a population through statistical multilevel and Geographic Information Systems modelling. The analysis comprised 3277 participants who had completed their body type assessment between 2009 and 2012 inclusive. The multilevel analysis also took simultaneous accounts of both individual-level (gender, age, BMI, type of housing) and area-level (percent greenery, percent road surface, total road intersection, sky view factor, temperature, relative humidity, rainfall and social deprivation index) characteristics to explain geographical variation by body types. Significant random or place effects (p < 0.001) were identified in the multilevel models. The spatial variation of body constitution involved the dynamic interplay between individual and environmental factors. The findings amassed the first scientific indications to back the common belief that place does play a role in the development of body constitution and is worthy of further investigation. By considering spatial and personal attributes simultaneously, the study can yield valuable insights into the patterning of area variation in body constitution and disease presence.
DOI
10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.04.011
Print ISSN
02779536
E-ISSN
18735347
Funding Information
The research was funded partially by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (HKU 746210) and Graduate School of the University of Hong Kong. {HKU 746210}
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Low, C. T., Lai, P. C., Li, H. D., Ho, W. K., Wong, P., Chen, S., & Wong, W. C. (2016). Neighbourhood effects on body constitution: A case study of Hong Kong. Social Science & Medicine, 158, 61-74. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.04.011