Could racial discrimination increase the risk of obesity in children? Here’s what the study reveals

Children who are exposed to racial discrimination are more likely to have a higher BMI and a wider waistline later in life, according to a new study. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, suggest that, in addition to other socioeconomic factors such as family poverty, racial discrimination may be a risk factor for the development of obesity among young people.

“Exposure to racial discrimination should be acknowledged as a social determinant of obesity and a significant contributor to obesity disparities among children and adolescents,” said study author Adolfo Cuevas, assistant professor of social and behavioral sciences at NYU’s School of Global Public Health. ” lead author.

Childhood obesity is a major public health issue in the US, affecting approximately one in five children and adolescents. Obesity rates are even higher among black and Hispanic youth, which research suggests may stem from factors such as poverty, access to healthy food in neighborhoods, and single-parent households.

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A growing body of research has found that another known stressor, racial discrimination, puts people at risk for a range of health problems, including sleep problems, high cortisol levels and poor mental health. While racial discrimination is associated with higher BMI in adults, less is known about its effect on children and adolescents.

Researchers examined data from 6,463 children ages 9 to 11 across the US who participated in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study from 2017 to 2019. They first measured youths’ experiences of racial discrimination and asked them to reflect on whether they were treated unfairly by others based on their race or ethnicity. After a year, they measured the participants’ BMI (calculated using weight and height) and waist circumference.

The researchers found that children who experienced more racial discrimination had a higher BMI and larger waist circumference one year later, even when adjusting for known socioeconomic risk factors for obesity, including household income and parental education level. Was. They concluded that reducing exposure to racial discrimination and its harmful effects on well-being early in life may help limit the risk of weight gain throughout life.

“We tested discrimination at a point in time, but it is important to recognize that long-term exposure to racial discrimination may further increase the risk of obesity.

Therefore, preventing or reducing the effects of discrimination as early as possible can reduce the risk of obesity,” said Cuevas, who is also a scholar in the Center on Anti-Racism, Social Justice and Public Health at the NYU School of Global Health. public health. “It is important for researchers, clinicians, educators, and policy makers to engage with communities to establish evidence-based strategies aimed at preventing the risk of racial discrimination to improve obesity at the population level,” she added.

In addition to Cuevas, study authors include Brennan Rhodes-Bratton and Shu Xi of NYU; Danielle Krobath, Jesulagbarami Omolede, and Aniah Perry of Tufts; and Natalie Slopen of Harvard. The ABCD study was supported by the National Institutes of Health and additional federal partners.