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Objective: Mexican American (MA) children are more likely to grow up in poverty than their non-Hispanic/Latinx white peers and are at an elevated risk for early onset obesity. The current study evaluated the effects of prenatal family- and neighborhood-level disadvantage on children's weight and weight gain from 12 months through 4.5 years of age. Maternal breastfeeding duration was evaluated as a potential mechanism underlying the relation between multilevel disadvantage and weight. Methods: Data was collected from 322 low-income, MA mother-child dyads. Women reported the degree of family socioeconomic disadvantage and breastfeeding status. Neighborhood disadvantage was evaluated with census-level metrics. Children's weight and height were measured at laboratory visits. Results: Greater prenatal neighborhood disadvantage predicted higher child Body Mass Index (BMI) at 12 months, over and above family-level disadvantage; this effect remained stable through 4.5 years. Breastfeeding duration partially mediated the effect of neighborhood disadvantage on child BMI. Breastfeeding duration predicted child BMI at all timepoints. Conclusions: Maternal prenatal residence in a neighborhood with high concentrated disadvantage may place low-income, MA children at increased risk of elevated weight status during the first few years of life. Breastfeeding duration emerged as potentially modifiable pathway through which the prenatal neighborhood impacts children's early life weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiencing eating disorder symptoms is associated with maladaptive outcomes and impairment in functioning. A paucity of research exists examining eating disorder symptoms among ethnic/racial minority women. Using a network analysis, we evaluated core symptoms of eating disorder psychopathology and the degree of association between eating disorder symptoms in a sample of ethnic/racial minority women. Participants were 296 Black, 261 Hispanic, and 261 Asian American women recruited across the United States to complete an online survey. Inclusionary criteria yielded a sample with high eating disorder psychopathology. The Network Comparison Test was used to identify differences in networks between groups and yielded no significant differences between the three ethnic/racial groups. Thus, one network analysis on the entire sample was conducted in the main analyses. However, separate group analyses are presented in the online supplemental materials. Consistent with the transdiagnostic theory of eating disorders, weight concerns (i.e., strong desire to lose weight and fear of weight gain) emerged as central symptoms. Discrepant from findings with predominantly White samples, purging emerged as a central symptom as well, while shape concerns did not. Interestingly, having to weigh oneself weekly, having a flat stomach, fasting, and compulsive exercising were on the periphery of the network. Findings are discussed in terms of clinical implications and comparative similarities and differences when addressing the existing literature. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]