Residential mobility, socioeconomic context and body mass index in a cohort of urban South African adolescents

► Previous studies have not considered associations between mobility, SES & obesity from birth to age 15. ► Risks for obesity in this urban transitioning environment differ between groups of adolescents. ► Findings show that residential mobility together with rising SES increase the risk for obesity. ► Cross sectional socio-demographic measures miss the complexity of changing environments.