Asthma status moderates the relationship between neighbourhood disadvantage and obesity in African American adolescent females

Introduction: Significant health disparities exist in asthma and obesity for African American youths. Successful interventions present an opportunity to address these disparities but require detailed study in order to ensure generalizability. This study investigated the intersection of obesity, neighbourhood disadvantage, and asthma. Methods: Data were extracted from 129 African American females ages 13 to 19 years (mean = 15.6 years [SD = 1.9]). Obesity was measured via body mass index (BMI). Asthma status was based on clinical diagnosis and/or results of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies during Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. The concentrated disadvantage index (CDI) assessed neighbourhood disadvantage. Results: Findings showed that 21.5% (n = 28) of participants were clinically defined as having asthma, 76.2% (n = 99) had obesity, and 24.9% (n = 31) were classified without obesity. The mean BMI was 35.1 (SD = 9.1) and the mean CDI was 1.0 (SD = 0.9). CDI and obesity were significantly associated in participants without asthma, but not in those with asthma. Multivariable linear regression results showed a significant interaction between CDI and asthma (t value = 2.2, P =.03). Conclusion: In sum, results from this study found that asthma moderated the relationship between neighbourhood disadvantage and obesity.