Socioeconomic Inequalities in Overweight/Obesity: Moderating Role of Built Environment Attributes

Obesity is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases and is unequally distributed across socioeconomic groups, with higher risk among disadvantaged populations. Built environment attributes may influence socioeconomic inequalities in obesity through uneven environmental exposures. This thesis investigates the role of the built environment in area-level socioeconomic inequalities in obesity. The first study, a systematic review, found limited research. Two empirical studies addressed gaps identified in the review and examined the role of neighbourhood greenery and population density. Medium levels of greenery appeared to mitigate socioeconomic inequalities in obesity, whereas inequalities at baseline were evident in lower density neighbourhoods but absent in higher density areas. These findings highlight the potential for environmental attributes to reduce such inequalities.