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Racial and socioeconomic disparities in body mass index among college students: understanding the role of early life adversity

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Abstract

The role of early life adversity (ELA) in the development of health disparities has not received adequate attention. The current study examined differential exposure and differential vulnerability to ELA as explanations for socioeconomic and racial disparities in body mass index (BMI). Data were derived from a sample of 150 college students (M age  = 18.8, SD = 1.0; 45 % African American; 55 % European American) who reported on parents’ education and income as well as on exposure to 21 early adverse experiences. Body measurements were directly assessed to determine BMI. In adjusted models, African American students had higher BMI than European Americans. Similarly, background socioeconomic status was inversely associated with BMI. Significant mediation of group disparities through the pathway of ELA was detected, attenuating disparities by approximately 40 %. Furthermore, ELA was more strongly associated with BMI for African Americans than for European Americans. Efforts to achieve health equity may need to more fully consider early adversity.

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Acknowledgments

Support for this project was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholars Program at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, and by the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) program, through the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), Grant UL1TR000427.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Auburn University, 203 Spidle Hall, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA

    David S. Curtis & Thomas E. Fuller-Rowell

  2. Department of Psychology, Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, CA, USA

    Stacey N. Doan

  3. Department of Family Medicine, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI, USA

    Aleksandra E. Zgierska

  4. Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin—Madison, Madison, WI, USA

    Carol D. Ryff

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  1. David S. Curtis
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  2. Thomas E. Fuller-Rowell
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Correspondence to David S. Curtis.

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David S. Curtis, Thomas E. Fuller-Rowell, Stacey N. Doan, Aleksandra E. Zgierska, and Carol D. Ryff declare that they do not have any conflict of interest.

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Curtis, D.S., Fuller-Rowell, T.E., Doan, S.N. et al. Racial and socioeconomic disparities in body mass index among college students: understanding the role of early life adversity. J Behav Med 39, 866–875 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-016-9756-4

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