Direct and indirect associations of experience of racial discrimination, dietary patterns and obesity in adults from southern Brazil

Abstract Objective: the study aimed to analyze the direct and indirect associations of self-reported experience of racial discrimination with dietary patterns, obesity, and abdominal obesity. Design: it is a cross-sectional population-based study. The main exposure was self-reported experiences of racial discrimination which was assessed by the Experiences of Discrimination scale. The mediator variables were the dietary patterns: healthy, traditional Brazilian, refined carbohydrates and sugars, and fast food. The outcomes were obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m²), and abdominal obesity (waist circumference ≥ 88 cm for women and ≥ 102 cm for men). Structural equation modeling was used to clarify relationships between exposures, outcomes and mediating variables. Setting: Porto Alegre, Brazil Participants: 400 adults aged between 20 and 70 years. Results: the mean age of participants was 47.2 years (SD = 13.9 years). Experience racial discrimination had a positive direct effect on obesity and abdominal obesity in all models. The experience of racial discrimination did not have a direct effect on any dietary pattern neither the experience of racial discrimination did not have an indirect effect on obesity and abdominal obesity via any dietary pattern. Conclusions: our results suggest that a higher experience of racial discrimination is associated with obesity and abdominal obesity, and its association is independent of healthy or unhealthy dietary patterns.