Abstract

Introduction: Obesity is a health problem worldwide that has been linked to social position. Although the evidence linking these variables is sound, little attention has been paid to the mechanisms by which these variables can be associated. We sought to determine whether social position is directly related to abdominal obesity and indirectly via perceived discrimination, negative affectivity and diet quality, and the moderating role of social support. Method: Four hundred and twenty participants from a Chilean University were selected. Obesity was measured through waist circumference and self-reported measures were used to asses psychological and behavioral variables. Results: Structural equation modeling allowed us to estimate that social position was not directly related to abdominal obesity, but indirectly via a sequenced mechanism that included perceived discrimination, negative affectivity and diet quality. Social support did not moderate these associations. Conclusion: We identified underl-ying mechanisms that mediate the association between social position and abdominal obesity. We highlight the relevance that psychological and behavioral variables has in obesity.