The mediating role of social capital in the association between neighbourhood income inequality and body mass index.
Neighbourhood income inequality may contribute to differences in body weight. We explored whether neighbourhood social capital mediated the association of neighbourhood income inequality with individual body mass index (BMI).



A total of 4126 adult participants from 48 neighbourhoods in France, Hungary, the Netherlands and the UK provided information on their levels of income, perceptions of neighbourhood social capital and BMI. Factor analysis of the 13-item social capital scale revealed two social capital constructs: social networks and social cohesion. Neighbourhood income inequality was defined as the ratio of the amount of income earned by the top 20% and the bottom 20% in a given neighbourhood. Two single mediation analyses-using multilevel linear regression analyses-with neighbourhood social networks and neighbourhood social cohesion as possible mediators-were conducted using MacKinnon's product-of-coefficients method, adjusted for age, gender, education and absolute household income.



Higher neighbourhood income inequality was associated with elevated levels of BMI and lower levels of neighbourhood social networks and neighbourhood social cohesion. High levels of neighbourhood social networks were associated with lower BMI. Results stratified by country demonstrate that social networks fully explained the association between income inequality and BMI in France and the Netherlands. Social cohesion was only a significant mediating variable for Dutch participants.



The results suggest that in some European urban regions, neighbourhood social capital plays a large role in the association between neighbourhood income inequality and individual BMI.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Joreintje D
JD
Mackenbach
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Jeroen
J
Lakerveld
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Yavanna
Y
van Oostveen
Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium, Ghent, Belgium.
Sofie
S
Compernolle
Department of Movement and Sport Sciences, Ghent University, Gent, Belgium, Ghent, Belgium.
Ilse
I
De Bourdeaudhuij
Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Public Health, University of Debrecen, Hungary, Hungary.
Helga
H
Bárdos
ECOHOST - The Centre for Health and Social Change, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Harry
H
Rutter
ECOHOST - The Centre for Health and Social Change, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Ketevan
K
Glonti
Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Statistiques, Inserm (U1153), Inra (U1125), Cnam, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris 13, Bobigny, France.|Department of Nutrition, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Sorbonne Universités, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris 06; Institute of Cardiometabolism and Nutrition, Paris, France.
Jean-Michel
JM
Oppert
Equipe de Recherche en Epidémiologie Nutritionnelle (EREN), Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Statistiques, Inserm (U1153), Inra (U1125), Cnam, COMUE Sorbonne Paris Cité, Université Paris 13, Bobigny, France.|Paris Est University, Lab-Urba, UPEC, Urban School of Paris, Créteil Cedex, France.
Helene
H
Charreire
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Johannes
J
Brug
Department of General Practice and Elderly Care, EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Giel
G
Nijpels
D015992:Body Mass Index; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D006814:Hungary; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D066270:Social Capital; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D006113:United Kingdom; D014505:Urban Population