Neighborhood effects on Black adolescents’ obesity risk: The mediating role of family experiences

Abstract

We examined longitudinal associations between neighborhood environments (walkability, area deprivation, and traffic volume) and obesity risk, tested sex differences, and evaluated family experiences as mediators. Participants were 1325 Black youth (52% male; M age = 9.5) and caregivers from the first 3 years of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. We used participants’ survey responses and measures of neighborhood context from publicly available sources. Greater neighborhood walkability predicted lower physical activity for all adolescents and poorer nutrition among boys; more traffic volume predicted lower physical activity among girls. Walkability had a significant indirect effect on physical activity through family conflict. Findings underscore the importance of neighborhood and family contexts in shaping obesity risk among Black youth and suggest that these contexts, along with youth sex, should be considered when developing interventions.