Association of Neighborhood Environment with Physical Activity, Sedentarism, and Body Composition Measures among Young Adults in Puerto Rico

Introduction and Objective: Adverse neighborhood environments have been associated with physical inactivity, sedentary behavior, and adverse body composition—key contributors to diabetes risk. Few studies have explored these associations in young adults. This study examines the relationship between neighborhood environments and physical activity (PA), sedentary behaviors, and body composition among young adults in PR, a population at high risk of diabetes. Methods: Participants were 2,808 young adults (18-29 yrs) from the PR-OUTLOOK study (2020-2023). Neighborhood characteristics (aesthetic quality, walkability, healthy food availability, social cohesion, safety, and violence) were self-reported. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine associations of neighborhood characteristics with PA (inactive, 0 min/wk; insufficient >0 and <150 min/wk; sufficient, ≥150 min/wk) and BMI (underweight, normal, overweight, obese). Logistic regression assessed associations with sedentary time (limited, ≤2 hrs/day; prolonged, >2 hrs/day) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR; normal, elevated), adjusting for age, sex, education, and vaping. Results: Greater aesthetic quality, walkability, healthy food availability, social cohesion, and safety were associated with higher odds of adequate PA (OR=1.56; 1.25; 1.14; 1.23; and 1.11, respectively; all p<0.05). Higher healthy food availability was linked to lower odds of obesity (OR=0.90, p=0.03) and lower odds of elevated WHR (OR=0.90, p=0.01). Notably, greater walkability (OR=1.10, p=0.04), greater safety (OR=1.08, p=0.04), and lower violence (OR=0.83, p=0.04) were associated with greater odds of limited sedentary time. Conclusion: Findings highlight distinct associations of the neighborhood environment with PA, body composition, and sedentary behavior. Future studies should confirm these findings to inform strategies for reducing diabetes risk in this population. Disclosure: Y.D. Valle -Moro: None. M.L. Estrella: None. C.P. Amaya-Ardila: None. M.C. Rosal: None. C.M. Perez: None. Funding: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL149119)