Mediating roles of psychological factors and physical and social environments between socioeconomic status and dietary behaviors among African Americans with overweight or obesity.

The study used cross-sectional data, so it cannot show that socioeconomic status caused changes in psychological or environmental factors, or that those factors caused dietary behaviors. The sample was African American adults with overweight or obesity from one geographic location, so results may not apply to African Americans with a healthy BMI or people in other areas. Most participants were women, and half had graduate education or higher, so the findings may not reflect men or lower socioeconomic groups. Dietary behaviors were measured by self-report, not by direct observation or biological markers. The perceived barriers scale had low internal consistency in this sample (Cronbach's alpha .64). Sociocultural factors were not measured. Sensitivity analyses showed that if assumed sociocultural confounding paths were 0.3 or higher, some mediator associations with dietary behaviors were no longer significant.

The supplied article text does not include a conflict-of-interest or funding declaration. The publication record lists NIH extramural and non-U.S. government research support.

Do not read this as evidence that a diet education program works. The study used cross-sectional self-report data and found associations, and the authors state it cannot establish causal mechanisms.