Associations Between Boys’ Early Childhood Exposure to Family and Neighborhood Poverty and Body Mass Index in Early Adolescence

Abstract

Objective To test relations between exposure to poverty, in the forms of family income and neighborhood deprivation, during three developmental stages, and children’s body mass index (BMI) in early adolescence. Methods Data came from a longitudinal sample of racially diverse, urban, low-income boys. Interactions between family income to needs and census-derived neighborhood deprivation at three developmental stages—early childhood (18 and 24 months), preschool-to-school entry (3.5 and 6 years), and school-age (8 and 10 years)—were tested in relation to BMI at age 11. Results There was a significant interaction whereby higher income predicted lower BMI only in the context of low levels of neighborhood deprivation in early childhood. In high-deprivation neighborhoods, higher income was associated with risk for overweight/obesity in early adolescence. This pattern was found to be specific to income and neighborhood deprivation measured in early childhood. Conclusions Findings have implications for policy relevant to obesity prevention. More research on associations between early exposure to poverty and later risk for obesity on low-income samples is warranted, as the relationship is likely complex and influenced by many different factors, including the family and neighborhood food environments and child health behaviors.

Income and neighbourhood deprivation in relation to obesity in urban dwelling children 0–12 years of age: a cross-sectional study from 2013 to 2019

“…Previous US studies have found low agreement between individual-level and neighbourhood-level income measures, but both high individual and high neighbourhood income were associated with reduced OR of child overweight when evaluated separately 10 11. However, elsewhere a significant interaction between family-level and neighbourhood-level income has suggested that children with higher early childhood family income were at low risk of obesity in low deprivation but not high deprivation neighbourhoods 15. The independent and discordant associations between family-level income and neighborhood-level income and deprivation with child obesity among young children in Canada are unknown.…”

“…10 11 However, elsewhere a significant interaction between family-level and neighbourhood-level income has suggested that children with higher early childhood family income were at low risk of obesity in low deprivation but not high deprivation neighbourhoods. 15 The independent and discordant associations between familylevel income and neighborhood-level income and copyright. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the independent and combined associations of family-level income, neighbourhood-level income and neighbourhood deprivation, with child obesity among children ≤12 years of age recruited from primary care practices in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada.…”

“… 10 11 However, elsewhere a significant interaction between family-level and neighbourhood-level income has suggested that children with higher early childhood family income were at low risk of obesity in low deprivation but not high deprivation neighbourhoods. 15 The independent and discordant associations between family-level income and neighborhood-level income and deprivation with child obesity among young children in Canada are unknown.…”