Environmental factors of obesity in communities with native Hawaiians.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the fast food outlets and exercise resources across 3 communities with varying percentages of Native Hawaiians (NH) and to correlate these findings with obesity prevalence. METHODS: Data on all food and exercise resources were collected from January through July 2006 within a 1-mile radius in 3 distinct communities (site A = higher % NH to site C = lower % NH). Comparisons between communities were analyzed in 2007 using Fisher's Exact and ANOVA. RESULTS: Trends in obesity prevalence paralleled the percentage of NHs. After adjusting for population size, site B had a greater number of fast food outlets (p < 0.001) than site A or C, and more exercise facilities compared to site A (p = 0.05). Availability of fast food outlets was significantly greater at site A compared to site C (p = 0.03). Usage of exercise facilities was not significantly different between sites although exercise resources were in 'poorer' condition at site A compared to site B or C (p < or = 0.05). DISCUSSION: Results confirm the increased frequency of obesogenic environmental factors and their correlation with obesity trends across 3 distinct NH communities. These results suggest that environmental factors may offer another means for reducing obesity disparities in minority communities.