Kim Yeonwoo, Cho Yong Ju, Ullahansari Shaikh, Ortega Camilla, Jang Soeun, Brown Kyrah K
Department of Kinesiology, University of Texas at Arlington, 500 W, Nedderman Dr, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA.
School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington., Arlington, TX, USA.
J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2025 Sep 19. doi: 10.1007/s40615-025-02610-7.
Obesity is a rising global epidemic with profound effects on the health and well-being of both children and adults. Neighborhood racial and ethnic segregation, a key social determinant of health, has emerged as an important factor influencing obesity disparities across racial and ethnic groups. This study presents a systematic review to summarize and synthesize findings on the association between neighborhood racial and ethnic segregation and obesity, examining variations by race and ethnicity and identifying potential mediating and moderating mechanisms.
We searched five electronic databases, resulting in the inclusion of 19 quantitative studies in the final sample. Studies were screened for eligibility based on inclusion criteria, and data were extracted on study characteristics, outcomes, and identified mechanisms.
Our findings showed a positive association between neighborhood racial and ethnic segregation and obesity among Black and Hispanic adults, particularly for Black women, suggesting that higher segregation is linked to increased obesity risk. However, the results were inconclusive for White, Asian, and American Indian adults. Limited studies on childhood obesity have restricted our ability to draw firm conclusions in this area. Neighborhood poverty emerged as a significant moderator, while neighborhood environments acted as a mediator, though evidence for these mechanisms remains sparse.
This review highlights the significance of exploring moderating and mediating mechanisms, especially through longitudinal studies, to better understand how neighborhood racial and ethnic segregation affects obesity across various racial and ethnic groups. Fostering healthier environments may help reduce obesity disparities associated with neighborhood racial and ethnic segregation.
肥胖是一种日益严重的全球性流行病，对儿童和成年人的健康与福祉都有深远影响。邻里种族隔离作为健康的一个关键社会决定因素，已成为影响不同种族和族裔群体肥胖差异的一个重要因素。本研究进行了一项系统综述，以总结和综合关于邻里种族隔离与肥胖之间关联的研究结果，考察种族和族裔差异，并确定潜在的中介和调节机制。
我们检索了五个电子数据库，最终样本纳入了19项定量研究。根据纳入标准对研究进行资格筛选，并提取有关研究特征、结果和已确定机制的数据。
我们的研究结果表明，邻里种族隔离与黑人和西班牙裔成年人的肥胖之间存在正相关，尤其是对黑人女性而言，这表明更高程度的隔离与肥胖风险增加有关。然而，对于白人、亚裔和美国印第安成年人，结果尚无定论。关于儿童肥胖的研究有限，限制了我们在这一领域得出确凿结论的能力。邻里贫困是一个重要的调节因素，而邻里环境起到了中介作用，不过这些机制的证据仍然稀少。
本综述强调了探索调节和中介机制的重要性，特别是通过纵向研究，以更好地理解邻里种族隔离如何影响不同种族和族裔群体的肥胖。营造更健康的环境可能有助于减少与邻里种族隔离相关的肥胖差异。
