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Cited by 140Obesity, Physical Activity, DietHealth disparities and outcomesUrban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies

Neighbourhood economic deprivation explains racial/ethnic disparities in overweight and obesity among children and adolescents in the USA

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Rossen, Lauren M·2014·Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
DOI 10.1136/jech-2012-202245PMC PMC5705001
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Abstract

Background: Low-income and some racial and ethnic subpopulations are more likely to suffer from obesity. Inequities in the physical and social environment may contribute to disparities in paediatric obesity, but there is little empirical evidence to date. This study explored whether neighbourhood-level socioeconomic factors attenuate racial and ethnic disparities in obesity among youth in the USA and whether individual-level socioeconomic status (SES) interacts with neighbourhood deprivation. Methods: This analysis used data from 17 100 youth ages 2–18 years participating in the 2001–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey linked to census tract-level socioeconomic characteristics. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to examine neighbourhood deprivation in association with odds of obesity (age-specific and sex-specific body mass index percentile ≥95). Results: The unadjusted prevalence of obesity was 15% among non-Hispanic white children and 21% among non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American children. Adjustment for individual-level SES neighbourhood deprivation and the interaction between these two factors resulted in a 74% attenuation of the disparity in obesity between non-Hispanic black and non-Hispanic white children and a 49% attenuation of the disparity between Mexican-American and non-Hispanic white children. There was a significant interaction between individual-level SES and neighbourhood deprivation where higher individual-level income was protective for children living in low-deprivation neighbourhoods, but not for children who lived in high-deprivation areas. Conversely, area deprivation was associated with higher odds of obesity, but only among children who were above the poverty threshold. Conclusions: Future research on disparities in obesity and other health outcomes should examine broader contextual factors and social determinants of inequities.

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  • Neighborhoods higher in disadvantage are more likely to provide adolescents with ready access to energy-dense nutrient-poor snack foods and fast foods.

    “Neighborhoods higher in disadvantage are more likely to provide adolescents with ready access to energy-dense nutrient-poor snack foods and fast foods [27].”

    From Intersections of Structural State-Level Racism and Neighborhood Deprivation on Nutrition and Obesity for Black Adolescents (2025) · cites this paper as [27]

    The Introduction and Discussion say that low-income and minority communities often have many convenience stores and fast-food outlets, supporting the claim about fast-food availability. They do not specifically establish adolescents’ ready access to energy-dense, nutrient-poor snack foods; the Discussion also notes that some children may face financial barriers to purchasing convenience or fast food. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.82)

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  • Neighborhood deprivation is considered an important social determinant of pediatric obesity.

    “In this way, neighborhood deprivation is considered an important social determinant of pediatric obesity [27,28].”

    From Intersections of Structural State-Level Racism and Neighborhood Deprivation on Nutrition and Obesity for Black Adolescents (2025) · cites this paper as [27]

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Rossen, L. M.
Affiliations
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US)
Corresponding author
Rossen, Lauren M
ORCID
Rossen, Lauren M
Venue
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Publisher
BMJ
Published
2013-09-26
Volume
68
Issue
2
Pages
123-129
ISSN
  • 0141-7681 (ISSN-L)
  • 0143-005X
  • 1470-2738
DOI
10.1136/jech-2012-202245
PMC
PMC5705001
OpenAlex
W2029429607
Cited by
140
References
4
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 7
FWCI
12.27
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institutes of Health (CC999999)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Urban, Neighborhood, and Segregation Studies
Keywords
neighborhood disadvantage, racial and ethnic disparities, childhood obesity, adolescent obesity, socioeconomic status, area deprivation, poverty line, non-Hispanic Black children, Mexican American children, social determinants of health, contextual factors, body mass index
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Child, Child, Preschool, Cross-Sectional Studies, Ethnicity, Family Characteristics, Female, Humans, Male, Nutrition Surveys, Poverty, Psychosocial Deprivation, Residence Characteristics, Social Class, United States, Body Mass Index, Mexican Americans, White People, Overweight, Health Status Disparities, Pediatric Obesity

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