Scholars have established that our geographic environments – including infrastructure for walking and food availability - contribute to the current obesity epidemic in the United States. However, the relationship between food, walkability, and obesity has largely only been investigated in large urban areas. Further, many studies have not taken an in-depth look at the spatial fabric of walkability, food, and obesity. The purpose of this study was two-fold: 1) to explore reliable methods, using sociodemographic census data, for estimating obesity at the neighborhood level in one region of the U.S. made up of rural areas and small towns – southern Illinois; and 2) to investigate the ways that the food environment and walkability correlate with obesity across neighborhoods with different geographies, population densities, and socio-demographic characteristics. This study uses spatial analysis techniques and GIS, namely geographically weighted multivariate linear regression and cluster analysis, to estimate obesity at the census block group level. Walkability and the food environment are investigated in depth before the relationship between obesity and the built environment is analyzed using GIS and spatial analysis. The study finds that the influence of various food and walkability measures on obesity is spatially varying and significantly mediated by socio-demographic factors. The study concludes that the relationship between obesity and the built environment can be studied quantitatively in study areas of any size or population density but an open-minded approach toward measures must be taken and geographic variation cannot be ignored. This work is timely and important because of the dearth of small area obesity data, as well an absence of research on obesogenic physical environments outside of large urban areas.

CAPES; EMATER / Um dos maiores problemas ambientais da população brasileira é a falta de tratamento de esgoto, principalmente em comunidades rurais e de baixa renda. O desenvolvimento de tecnologias para saneamento eficientes e de baixo custo precisam ser desenvolvidas para atender a população desfavorecida deste serviço básico. Nesse trabalho foi proposta a implantação de uma tecnologia denominada wetlands construídos, também conhecida por Estação de Tratamento de Esgoto por Zona de Raízes – ETEZR. O objetivo do trabalho foi desenvolver uma proposta de Educação Ambiental não formal para o saneamento, utilizando metodologias de sensibilização para os moradores e implantação desta tecnologia ETEZR na comunidade rural da Colônia Mergulhão em São José dos Pinhais - PR. Com o apoio técnico do Instituto Paranaense de Assistência Técnica e Extensão Rural – EMATER e da Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná – UTFPR, foram implantadas 5 ETEZR na colônia, por meio de 3 Oficinas teóricas e práticas, nas quais participaram no total 67 pessoas da comunidade, 5 técnicos da EMATER e 13 da Prefeitura Municipal do Município. Após 4 meses da implantação foram realizadas 2 coletas do efluente bruto e tratado para analisar parâmetros físico-químicos e biológicos. Os resultados avaliados pelos parâmetros químicos DBO, DQO, fósforo, nitrogênio amoniacal comparando esgoto bruto e tratado, demonstram que as ETEZR são eficientes no tratamento de esgoto.Nas 5 estações a eficiência mínima e máxima entre os parâmetros básicos analisados foram de 52,2 a 95,5% para a DBO; 47 a 94,5% para a DQO; 21,5 a 96% para fósforo; 30 a 98% para nitrogênio amoniacal. Os óleos e graxas, e a série de sólidos também obtiveram significativa redução em seus valores quando comparados o esgoto bruto e o esgoto tratado, e os parâmetros biológicos avaliados por meio dos coliformes apresentaram uma redução entre 80 a 99%. Com a aplicação do processo de Educação Ambiental voltado ao saneamento foi possível avaliar a percepção da população para a aceitação da tecnologia de saneamento ambiental utilizando as ETEZR, compreender as necessidades e conceitos de saneamento para a comunidade. : Esta pesquisa avaliou o desenvolvimento da metodologia aplicada pela Educação Ambiental não formal, a fim de proporcionar subsídios ao processo do plano de saneamento rural para o município. / One of the biggest environmental problems of the population is the lack of sewage treatment, especially in rural communities and low-income. The development of technologies for efficient, low-cost sanitation need to be developed to meet the disadvantaged people of this basic service. This work was the implementation proposal of a technology called constructed wetlands, also known as Wastewater Treatment Plant for Roots Zone - ETEZR. The objective was to develop a non- formal environmental education proposal for redevelopment, using outreach methods for residents and deployment of this technology ETEZR in the rural community of Cologne Grebe in Sao Jose dos Pinhais - PR. With technical support from the Paranaense Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Institute -EMATER and the Federal Technological University of Paraná - UTFPR, 5 ETEZR were deployed in the colony through three theoretical and practical workshops, which involved total 67 people from the community 5 technicians EMATER and 13 of the Municipal Town Hall. Após4 months of implementation were carried out two collections of raw wastewater and treated to analyze physical, chemical and biological parameters. The results evaluated by chemical parameters BOD, COD, phosphorus, ammonia nitrogen comparing raw and treated sewage, demonstrate that ETEZR are effective in the treatment of sewage. 5 Seasons minimum and maximum efficiency between the basic parameters analyzed were 52.2 to 95.5% for BOD; 47 to 94.5% for COD; 21.5 to 96% phosphorus; 30-98% for ammonia nitrogen. Oils and greases, and a series of solid also achieved a significant reduction in their values when comparing the raw sewage and treated sewage, and biological parameters evaluated by means of coliforms showed a reduction of 80 to 99%. With the implementation of environmental education process aimed sanitation was possible to evaluate the perception of the population to accept the environmental sanitation technology using the ETEZR, understand the needs and sanitation concepts for the community. This research evaluated the development of the methodology applied by the non-formal environmental education in order to provide subsidies for rural sanitation plan process for the municipality.