The association between community-level economic hardship and childhood obesity prevalence in Los Angeles

Results: Higher community-level EH was associated with higher childhood obesity prevalence (P < 0.001). The obesity prevalence among communities in the highest EH quartile (26.9%) was more than double the obesity prevalence among communities in the lowest EH quartile (12.5%). The slope of the association between EH and childhood obesity differed by racial/ethnic group. The slope was higher for non-Hispanic White students, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic Asians, and lower for non-Hispanic Black students. Racial/ ethnic disparities were observed across the socioeconomic spectrum. Conclusions: Findings suggest that efforts to improve community socioeconomic conditions could reduce childhood obesity prevalence. Prevention efforts should target communities with high economic hardship and also focus on providing culturally relevant interventions that address disparities in obesity prevalence across communities.