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Updated: Jul 16, 2025

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Interpersonal Discrimination, Neighborhood Inequities, and Children's Body Mass Index: A Descriptive, Cross-Sectional
Alicia Kunin-Batson1, Christopher Carr, Allan Tate
1Department of Pediatrics and Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis (Dr Kunin-Batson); Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Georgia, Athens (Mr Carr and Dr Tate); Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Ms Trofholz and Dr Berge); Children's Minnesota, Minneapolis (Dr Troy); Health Policy & Management, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Dr Hardeman); and Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis (Dr Hardeman).
Racism-related stressors and neighborhood inequities are linked to higher childhood obesity rates. Experiencing discrimination or living in segregated areas significantly increases a child's body mass index (BMI) percentile.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Sociology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Psychosocial stressors are linked to childhood obesity.
- The specific impact of racism-related stressors on child body mass index (BMI) requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore associations between neighborhood inequities, discrimination/harassment, and child BMI.
- To examine racism at both individual and census tract levels in relation to child BMI.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 1307 children (aged 5-9) from diverse backgrounds.
- Assessed child's exposure to discrimination/harassment via parent surveys.
- Constructed a neighborhood social polarization index using census tract data.
- Obtained child height and weight from medical records for BMI calculation.
- Employed multiple regression and hierarchical models to analyze relationships.
Main Results:
- Children in predominantly Black neighborhoods had significantly higher BMI percentiles compared to those in predominantly white neighborhoods.
- Neighborhoods with higher concentrations of Black residents showed indicators of social and economic disadvantage.
- Nearly 30% of children experienced discrimination/harassment, which was independently associated with higher BMI percentiles.
- Both individual discrimination and racial/economic segregation correlated with increased child BMI.
Conclusions:
- Racism-related stressors and neighborhood segregation are associated with higher childhood BMI.
- These factors may contribute to weight gain trajectories and long-term health outcomes.
- Longitudinal studies are recommended to confirm causal relationships and understand developmental impacts.
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