| Description |
This dissertation investigates the association between exposures to environmental hazards and obesity prevalence. Building on obesogenic and environmental inequality research, this project explores the way in which exposure to a specific class of obesogens, endocrine disruptors, influences obesity risk. This study offers three substantial contributions to the current literature on environmental exposures and obesity by (1) investigating the effects of endocrine disrupting chemical exposure on obesity prevalence using populations-based estimates that are more generalizable then many previous studies, (2) assessing the environmental exposure-obesity association in highly susceptible populations, and (3) identifying social risks associated with increased exposure to endocrine disruptors. The results indicate that the influence of endocrine disruptor exposure on obesity is complex. Exposure type, population of study, and exposure measurements shape obesogenic findings. This study also found mixed results when assessing racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in environmental exposures. Scholars can build off this work to better understand the socio-environmental mechanisms that place certain populations at a greater risk of hazardous exposure and how such exposure is related to health outcomes like obesity. |
