Spatial Convergence of US Obesity Rates and Its Determinants
| dc.creator | Li, Xun | |
| dc.creator | Wang, Rui | |
| dc.date | 2017-04-01T20:09:27Z | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-07-09T10:31:28Z | |
| dc.description | This article quantifies the importance of demographic and food environment variables in determining the convergence rates for obesity incidence across the U.S. Using a spatial autoregressive model with county level data for 2004-2012, a period of rapid spread of obesity in the U.S., to estimate 𝛽- and 𝜎convergence rates; then we estimate a probit model to assess their determinants. Empirical results show 𝛽-convergence and 𝜎-convergence occurred in the US and its four regions in 2004-2012. The Northeast and the West have the highest speed of convergence in years 2008-2012. It was also found that 𝛽convergence doesn’t occur in counties in metro area in 2004-2012 and 2008-2012. The convergence rate is the largest in completely rural counties and consistently higher for men compared to women. A second-step probit regression shows that states with higher Hispanic proportion, higher availability of fruit and vegetables stores and full-service restaurants are less likely to have 𝛽-convergence, while states with higher poverty rates and sex ratio are more likely to have 𝛽-convergence. It also shows 𝜎-convergence is more likely to happen in states with a higher proportion of Hispanics and higher availability of fruit and vegetables. | |
| dc.identifier | doi:10.22004/ag.econ.235617 | |
| dc.identifier | https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/235617/files/Manuscript_Li_Wang_Spatial_convergence.pdf | |
| dc.identifier | http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/235617 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/619535 | |
| dc.language | eng | |
| dc.publisher | ||
| dc.source | http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/235617 | |
| dc.title | Spatial Convergence of US Obesity Rates and Its Determinants | |
| dc.type | Text |