Obesity Heterogeneity by Neighborhood Context in a Largely Latinx Sample

Abstract

Neighborhood socioeconomic context where Latinx children live may influence body weight status. Los Angeles County and Orange County of Southern California both are on the list of the top ten counties with the largest Latinx population in the USA. This heterogeneity allowed us to estimate differential impacts of neighborhood environment on children’s body mass index z-scores by race/ethnicity using novel methods and a rich data source. We geocoded pediatric electronic medical record data from a predominantly Latinx sample and characterized neighborhoods into unique residential contexts using latent profile modeling techniques. We estimated multilevel linear regression models that adjust for comorbid conditions and found that a child’s place of residence independently associates with higher body mass index z-scores. Interactions further reveal that Latinx children living in Middle-Class neighborhoods have higher BMI z-scores than Asian and Other Race children residing in the most disadvantaged communities. Our findings underscore the complex relationship between community racial/ethnic composition and neighborhood socioeconomic context on body weight status during childhood.