Abstract
Introduction South Asians in the United States have a high prevalence of obesity and an elevated risk for cardiometabolic diseases. Yet, little is known about how aspects of neighborhood environment influence cardiometabolic risk factors such as body mass index (BMI) in this rapidly growing population. We aimed to investigate the association between perceived neighborhood social cohesion and BMI among South Asians. Methods We utilized cross-sectional data from the MASALA study, a prospective community-based cohort of 906 South Asian men and women from the San Francisco Bay area and the greater Chicago area. Multivariable linear regression models, stratified by sex, were used to examine the association between perceived level of neighborhood social cohesion and individual BMI after adjusting for sociodemographics. Results Participants were 54% male, with an average age of 55 years, 88% had at least a bachelor's degree, and the average BMI was 26.0 kg/m2. South Asian women living in neighborhoods with the lowest social cohesion had a significantly higher BMI than women living in neighborhoods with the highest cohesion (β coefficient = 1.48, 95% CI 0.46–2.51, p=0.02); however, the association was not statistically significant after adjusting for sociodemographic factors (β coefficient = 1.06, 95% CI −0.01–2.13, p=0.05). There was no association between level of neighborhood social cohesion and BMI in South Asian men. Conclusion Perceived neighborhood social cohesion was not significantly associated with BMI among South Asians in our study sample. Further research is recommended to explore whether other neighborhood characteristics may be associated with BMI and other health outcomes in South Asians and the mechanisms through which neighborhood may influence health.
Highlights
South Asians in the United States have a high prevalence of obesity and an elevated risk for cardiometabolic diseases
E existing literature has highlighted the need for research that focuses on the influence of the neighborhood on South Asian men and women’ health and on how social cohesion may link to obesity and obesityrelated factors [19]. In response to this need, using data collected as part of the community-based Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America (MASALA) study, we examined the association between perceived neighborhood social cohesion and individual body mass index (BMI)
Our study found that neighborhood social cohesion was not associated with BMI among South Asians in the MASALA study
Summary
South Asians in the United States have a high prevalence of obesity and an elevated risk for cardiometabolic diseases. We aimed to investigate the association between perceived neighborhood social cohesion and BMI among South Asians. Perceived neighborhood social cohesion was not significantly associated with BMI among South Asians in our study sample. While Asian Americans overall have a relatively low body mass index (BMI) compared with other race/ ethnic groups in the US, South Asians have the highest rates of overweight/obesity among all Asians in the US [5, 6]. South Asians have high rates of obesity-related chronic disease, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease [8, 10, 11]. Since South Asians are a rapidly growing population in the US, it is important to identify the social and cultural factors that may underpin the increased obesity and related risks
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