Smaller Subcortical Volume in Reward Processing Regions Precedes Weight Gain in Youth With High Financial Adversity: Findings From the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

Purpose

Financial adversity has been associated with altered subcortical neurodevelopment and obesity risk. However, no studies have examined these relationships in tandem. Food intake is influenced by the subcortex; thus, we examined whether financial adversity moderated bidirectional relationships between neurodevelopment and body mass index (BMI) in early adolescence.

Methods

Data were gathered from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (n_T0 = 3,606 [9/10 years, 100% healthy weight, 50.8% male; 71.4% White, 15.6% Latino, 869 youth with financial adversity]; n_T2 = 2,395 [11/12 years, 11.2% overweight/obese]; no siblings). Financial adversity was assessed on a seven-item binary response questionnaire. Population-level effects of Financial Adversity∗Subcortical Volume (8 bilateral regions)∗Time on BMI were examined with mixed models, while individual differences and temporal precedence of cross-domain couples were examined with a Multiple Indicator Bivariate Latent Change Score model.

Results

By 11/12 years, higher financial adversity was associated with a greater increase in BMI (i.e., weight gain) and a negative association with volume in the bilateral accumbens, caudate, and right pallidum. The Bivariate Latent Change Score model showed that smaller subcortical volume preceded and predicted greater weight gain among youth with three or more financial adverse experiences.

Discussion

Our findings suggest that financial adversity may alter subcortical development regions associated with reward processing and food intake control, and potentially contribute to greater weight gain (i.e., increased BMI trajectory over a 2-year period). By elucidating these mechanisms within the natural progression of weight gain, we highlight a potential neurosocioeconomic risk factor for obesity development.