social vulnerability

NIH Program Study Links Neighborhood Opportunity and Social Vulnerability to Children’s Body Mass Index

Posted on by Jodi Snare

Izzuddin M. Aris, PhD
Izzuddin M. Aris, PhD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Children who lived in higher opportunity or less vulnerable neighborhoods early in life had lower average body mass index (BMI) and lower risk of obesity from childhood to adolescence, according to a new study funded by the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Program at the National Institutes of Health.

“This study bolsters the need for a focus on investments that address the structures that consistently compromise the health of marginalized communities,” said Izzuddin M. Aris, PhD of Harvard Medical School.

Children’s BMI and childhood obesity are significant risk factors for heart disease later in life. To understand how neighborhood-level conditions can affect a child’s risk for these health outcomes, ECHO researchers collected address and weight information from over 20,000 children from birth through 10 years old, and linked the address data to the Child Opportunity Index and Social Vulnerability Index.

In the future, neighborhood indices, such as the ones used in this study, could help inform efforts to reduce neighborhood barriers and improve access to community resources so families can better support their children’s health and well-being.

Dr. Aris led this collaborative research published in JAMA Network Open.

Aris, I. M. et al. Associations of Neighborhood Opportunity and Vulnerability with Trajectories of Child Body Mass Index and Obesity Among U.S. Children” in JAMA Network Open. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.47957

 

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About ECHO: ECHO is a nationwide research program supported by the NIH. Launched in 2016, ECHO aims to enhance the health of children for generations to come. ECHO investigators study the effects of a broad range of early environmental influences on child health and development. For more information, visit echochildren.org.

About the NIH: NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information, visit www.nih.gov.

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New ECHO Research Links Neighborhood Opportunity and Social Vulnerability to Children’s Body Mass Index (BMI)

Posted on by Jodi Snare

Izzuddin M. Aris, PhD
Izzuddin M. Aris, PhD

Collaborative ECHO research led by Izzuddin M. Aris, PhD of Harvard Medical School, investigates associations between neighborhood-level opportunity and social vulnerability and children’s body mass index (BMI) and obesity risk. The study evaluated over 20,000 children and found that children who lived in higher opportunity or less vulnerable neighborhoods early in life had lower average BMI and lower risk of obesity from childhood to adolescence. Children’s BMI and obesity risk was most strongly linked with the conditions of the neighborhoods they lived in at birth compared to those they lived in later in childhood. Additionally, these associations were not affected by individual and family sociodemographics or by prenatal characteristics that are considered risk factors for childhood obesity. This research, titled “Associations of Neighborhood Opportunity and Vulnerability with Trajectories of Child Body Mass Index and Obesity Among U.S. Children,” is published in JAMA Network Open.

Childhood BMI—an estimation of their overall body fat—and childhood obesity are significant risk factors for cardiovascular disease-related morbidity and mortality later in adulthood. To understand how neighborhood-level conditions can affect a child’s risk for these health outcomes, this study looked at children from 54 ECHO cohorts located across the United States. ECHO researchers collected each child’s home address and weight at birth, infancy (6 months‒1.5 years), early childhood (2‒5 years), and mid-childhood (5‒10 years). The researchers linked children’s addresses throughout childhood to data from the Child Opportunity Index and Social Vulnerability Index to examine links between neighborhood conditions and children’s BMI and obesity over time.

“Our findings suggest that living in a high opportunity or low vulnerability neighborhood is an important resilience factor that may promote favorable BMI patterns which, in turn, could reduce future chronic disease risk,” said Dr. Aris. “This study bolsters the need for a focus on investments that address the structures that consistently compromise the health of marginalized communities.”

Neighborhood indices, such as the ones used in this study, could be used to target the development of place-based programs or policies that directly address the disparate contexts of neighborhoods, reduce barriers and improve access to essential resources and provide families with the environments needed to support optimal child health and well-being.

Future research should explore whether programs or policies that change specific aspects of neighborhood environments would be effective in preventing excess weight and obesity in children.

 

Read the research summary.

ECHO Study Finds Associations Between Neighborhood Social Vulnerability at Birth With Higher Childhood Body Mass Index

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ECHO Study Finds Associations Between Neighborhood Social Vulnerability at Birth With Higher Childhood Body Mass Index

Author(s): Izzuddin M. Aris, et al.

 

Who sponsored this study?

The Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of The Director, National Institutes of Health supported this research.

 

What were the study results?

The study found that children who lived in higher opportunity or less vulnerable neighborhoods early in life had lower average BMI and lower risk of obesity from childhood to adolescence. The neighborhoods children lived in at birth affected these health outcomes more than the neighborhoods they lived in later in childhood. These associations were not affected by individual and family sociodemographics or by prenatal risk factors for childhood obesity.

Footnote: Results reported here are for a single study. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should not make changes to your health without first consulting your healthcare professional.

 

What was the study's impact?

This research focuses on how community resources can enhance children’s health outcomes. The Child Opportunity Index, Social Vulnerability Index, and other measures of neighborhood characteristics could help inform efforts to reduce neighborhood barriers and improve access to community resources so families can better support their children’s health and well-being.

 

Why was this study needed?

The physical and social characteristics of neighborhoods may influence how children grow and develop. Children’s body mass index (BMI)—an estimation of their overall body fat—and childhood obesity are significant risk factors for heart disease later in life. The associations between neighborhood characteristics and children’s BMI and risk of obesity remains understudied. This study compared neighborhood-level measures of opportunity and social vulnerability with BMI and obesity patterns in children from birth to adolescence.

 

Who was involved?

This study included 20,677 children from 54 ECHO cohorts located across the United States.

 

What happened during the study?

ECHO researchers collected each child’s home address and weight at birth, infancy (6 months‒1.5 years), early childhood (2‒5 years), and mid-childhood (5‒10 years). The researchers linked participants’ addresses throughout childhood to data from the Child Opportunity Index and Social Vulnerability Index. The Child Opportunity Index measures neighborhood conditions and resources that may affect child health outcomes including education, health and environment, and social and economic factors. The Social Vulnerability Index identifies communities with high numbers of public health emergencies and other stressors by looking at demographics, socioeconomic status, type of housing, access to transportation, and other factors.

The researchers used these data to examine links between children’s neighborhood-level opportunity and social vulnerability and their BMI and obesity over time.

 

What happens next?

More research is needed to determine how changes to specific aspects of neighborhood environments might influence weight gain and obesity in children.

 

Where can I learn more?

Access the full journal article, titled “Associations of Neighborhood Opportunity and Vulnerability with Trajectories of Child Body Mass Index and Obesity Among U.S. Children,” in JAMA Network Open.

 

The content is the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

 

Published: December 22, 2022

 

Access the associated article.

Download this summary

ECHO Study Finds Associations Between Neighborhood Social Vulnerability at Birth With Higher Childhood Body Mass Index

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