Relating neighborhood deprivation to childhood obesity in the ABCD Study(R): evidence for theories of neuroinflammation and neuronal stress

ObjectiveWe evaluated whether the relationships between area deprivation (ADI), body mass index (BMI) and brain structure (e.g., cortical thickness, subcortical volume) during pre-adolescence supported the neuroinflammation (NI) and/or neuronal stress (NS) theories of overeating. The NI theory proposes that ADI causes structural alteration in the brain due to the neuroinflammatory effects of overeating unhealthy foods. The NS theory proposes that ADI-related stress negatively impacts brain structure, which causes stress-related overeating and subsequent obesity. MethodsData were gathered from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study(R) (9-12-years-old; n=2872, 51.3% female). Linear mixed-effects models identified brain regions that were associated with both ADI and BMI; longitudinal mediation models assessed potential causal pathways. The NI model included ADI and BMI at 9/10-years-old and brain data at 11/12-years-old. The NS model included ADI and brain data at 9/10-years-old and BMI at 11/12-years-old. ResultsIn the NI model, BMI at 9/10-years-old positively mediated the relationship between AD and cortical thinning in the cuneus, lingual, and paracentral gyrus and larger volume of the Ventral DC at 11/12-years-old. In the NS model, cortical thinning in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, lingual gyrus and larger volume of the Ventral DC at 9/10-years-old partially mediated the relationship between ADI and BMI at 11/12-years-old. ConclusionGreater area deprivation may indicate fewer access to resources that support healthy development, like nutritious food and non-stressful environments. Our findings provide evidence in support of the neuroinflammation and stress theories of overeating, specifically, with greater ADI influencing health outcomes of obesity via brain structure alterations.