Publication Date

5-5-2019

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Wilson, James L.

Degree Name

B.S. (Bachelor of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Geography

Abstract

Obesity is a major global health concern, but few studies have examined the spatial distribution of obesity and related health factors on a neighborhood level scale. In this project, our study area is Chicago, the third largest city in the United States and a very diverse metropolitan area. For this project, Microsoft Excel, SPSS, and MGWR software was used for statistical analyses while QGIS was used for mapping purposes. Significant correlations were found among all of the health metrics that were analyzed. There was also a strong correlation between the hardship index, a composite of various socioeconomic factors, and obesity rates. Mapping these variables revealed a clustering of poor health and poor socioeconomic status on large parts of the south and west sides of Chicago. These findings suggest that policies to improve the health of Chicagoans must specifically target these neighborhoods with a variety of strategies that focus on the variety of determinant of obesity and its related health issues.

Extent

27 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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