Obesogenic neighborhood environment is associated with body fat and low-grade inflammation in Brazilian children: could the mother's body mass index be a mediating factor?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the direct and indirect effects of obesogenic and leptogenic neighborhood environments on body fat, and pro- and anti-inflammatory adipokines in Brazilian children.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. The body fat distribution was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Concentrations of leptin and adiponectin were measured. Four hundred meters (0.25 miles) road network buffer was the neighborhood unit used to assess the environmental characteristics around households. Obesogenic and leptogenic environments were the latent variables obtained from the observed characteristics. The mother's body mass index (BMI), ultra-processed food consumption, and physical activity before and after school, were tested as mediating variables. A hybrid model of structural equations was used to test the direct and indirect effects of obesogenic and leptogenic environments on body fat and leptin and adiponectin concentrations.

SETTING: Urban area of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

PARTICIPANTS: Children aged 8- and 9-years (n=367).

RESULTS: Obesogenic environment directly affected the mother's BMI (β: 0.24, P =0.02) and the child's body fat (β: 0.19, P =0.02). The mother's BMI and body fat mediated the effect of the obesogenic environment on leptin concentrations (β: 0.05, P =0.02).

CONCLUSIONS: Obesogenic neighborhood environment directly affects body fat and indirectly affects leptin concentrations in Brazilian children, mediated by the mother's BMI and body fat.