Assessing the Role of Health Behaviors, Socioeconomic Status, and Cumulative Stress for Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Obesity

Abstract

Objective This study aimed to examine the explanatory role of health behaviors, socioeconomic position (SEP), and psychosocial stressors on racial/ethnic obesity disparities in a multiethnic and multiracial sample of adults. Methods Using data from the Chicago Community Adult Health Study (2001‐2003), Oaxaca‐Blinder decomposition analysis was conducted to quantify the extent to which health behaviors (fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity), SEP, and cumulative stressors (e.g., perceived discrimination, financial strain) each explained differences in obesity prevalence in Black, US‐born Hispanic, and non‐US‐born Hispanic compared with non‐Hispanic White participants. Results SEP and health behaviors did not explain obesity differences between racial/ethnic minorities and White individuals. Having high levels of stress in four or more domains explained 4.46% of the differences between Black and White individuals, whereas having high levels of stress in three domains significantly explained 14.13% of differences between US‐born Hispanic and White. Together, the predictors explained less than 20% of differences between any racial/ethnic minority group and White individuals. Conclusions Exposure to stressors may play a role in obesity disparities, particularly among Black and US‐born Hispanic individuals. Other obesity‐related risk factors need to be examined to understand the underlying mechanisms explaining obesity disparities.

Parental Education and Nucleus Accumbens Response to Reward Anticipation: Minorities’ Diminished Returns

“…Our 1st result is in-line with what we know about parental education's role as a social determinant of health in general (Cuevas et al, 2020;Williams, 1999) and brain development in particular (Brody et al, 2017;Farah, 2018;Hackman et al, 2013;Hackman & Farah, 2009;Hackman, Farah, & Meaney, 2010;Hanson, Chandra, Wolfe, & Pollak, 2011; "Poverty and brain development", 2015). Marmot (2005;Singh-Manoux, Richards, & Marmot, 2005;Stringhini et al, 2018), Phelan (1995, 2009;Phelan, Link, Diez-Roux, Kawachi, & Levin, 2004), Mirowsky and Ross (2015;Ross & Mirowsky, 2011), and many other investigators (Cuevas et al, 2020;Williams, 1999) performance (Assari, 2019c;Assari & Caldwell, 2019b), ADHD (Assari & Caldwell, 2019a), anxiety (Assari, Caldwell, & Zimmerman, 2018), obesity (Assari, Thomas, et al, 2018), and health (Assari, Caldwell, & Mincy, 2018b) Risk of poor mental and physical health outcomes, such as depression, anxiety, suicide, chronic disease, and obesity, also remains high in high SES Black American children ( Assari, 2018f;Assari & Caldwell, 2019a;. Similar MDRs (Assari, 2017c) are shown for children (S. Assari, 2018d;…”

Minorities’ Diminish Returns of Parental Education in Reducing Childhood Body Mass Index

“…Association between Parental Education and Childhood Body Mass Index by Race4. DiscussionAlthough higher family SES (parental education) is associated with a reduced childhood BMI (1st finding), family SES shows a weaker effect for non-White and White children (2nd finding).Our 1st result is in line with what we know about parental education's role as a social determinant of health in general(Cuevas et al, 2020;Williams, 1999) and obesity in particular(Chaparro & Koupil, 2014;Cook & Tseng, 2019;Eidsdottir, Kristjansson, Sigfusdottir, Garber, & Allegrante, 2013;Elinder, Heinemans, Zeebari, & Patterson, 2014; Lamerz et al, 2005;Matthiessen et al, 2014) Marmot(2005),Singh-Manoux, Richards andMarmot (2005),Stringhini et al (2018), Phelan (1995, 2009),Phelan, Link, Diez-Roux, Kawachi and Levin (2004),Mirowsky and Ross (2015),Ross and Mirowsky …”

“…This model showed that parental education and race interact, meaning that the effect of parental education on BMI was weaker for non-White than White children ( Figure 3). (2011) and many other investigators (Cuevas et al, 2020;Williams, 1999) Showell et al, 2017;Stewart-Knox et al, 2012). High family SES also reduces the environmental risk of obesity, as high SES families live in less obesogenic environments (Choi et al, 2016;Crespi, Wang, Seto, Mare, & Gee, 2015;Dulin-Keita, Kaur Thind, Affuso, & Baskin, 2013;Forsyth et al, 2015).…”

Parental Education and Left Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortical Activity during N-Back Task: An fMRI Study of American Adolescents

“…Low family SES is also a proxy of poor parenting [ 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 ] and high parental risk behaviors [ 69 , 70 ] that can put child brain development in jeopardy [ 71 ]. Secondary to these cumulative risks, adolescents from low SES families remain at high level of risk of psychopathologies [ 72 , 73 , 74 ], problem behaviors [ 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 ], and poor school performance [ 82 , 83 , 84 ].…”