Associations between gestational exposure to neighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation and early childhood weight status

Summary Objective This study aimed to examine associations between prenatal neighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation (NSD) with early offspring weight status and to assess potential modification by race and ethnicity. Methods We used data from the Newborn Epigenetics STudy (NEST) cohort. Gestational NSD was assessed as neighbourhood deprivation index (NDI) tertiles. Offspring height and weight were assessed at 6 months (N = 1023), 1 year (N = 1268), 2 years (N = 1033) and 3 years (N = 1038). Multilevel logistic regression models estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the relationship of NDI with overweight or obesity and rapid infant weight gain, adjusting for gestational parent age, race/ethnicity, marital status and educational attainment. Models were estimated in the total sample and also stratified by race and ethnicity. Results Children exposed to NDI in the highest (compared to the lowest) tertile had increased odds of having overweight/obesity at 1 year (OR = 1.53, 95%CI = 1.09–2.15). In stratified models, children of NH Black gestational parents residing in the highest tertile of NDI (compared to the lowest) had increased odds of having overweight/obesity at 1 year (OR = 1.67, 95%CI = 1.00–2.77). Conclusions This findings suggest that higher gestational exposure to NSD may play a role in early childhood weight status, which has important implications for later development and health.