The relation of gender, race and socioeconomic status to obesity and obesity comorbidities in a sample of US adults

Abstract

were used in the analysis. Relevant data included selfreported weight and height, self-reported physician-diagnosed diabetes mellitus, hypertension, heart disease and high serum cholesterol. Analysis was conducted according to gender, race, income level and education level. RESULTS: There was a graded increase in diabetes, hypertension and high serum cholesterol with increasing body weight in nearly all gender, racial and socioeconomic groups. Among the obese individuals, the prevalence of hypertension was higher in black subjects and the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension and heart disease was higher in individuals with lower education compared to their counterparts. The odds of having diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and high serum cholesterol increased with increasing body weight after adjusting for age, gender, race, income, education and smoking. CONCLUSION: Although cross-sectional in nature, our results suggest that the disease burden associated with obesity in the population may be substantial. This burden increases with increasing severity of obesity. Our findings support the current opinion that, although the nature of obesity-related health risks is similar in all populations, the specific level of risk associated with a given level of obesity may be different depending on gender, race and socioeconomic condition.

Body Weight and Length of Residence in the US Among Chinese Americans

“…This may be due to the way acculturation was defined: two categorical variables regarding English language and media use [13]. The use of English language and media may be an indicator of higher educational attainment and socio-economic status (SES), both of which have been associated with a lower body weight [27][28][29]. More research on appropriate acculturation measures is needed.…”

Binge eating disorder, weight control self-efficacy, and depression in overweight men and women

“…However, the prevalence of obesity in the US is greater among individuals of Black or Hispanic ethnicity and among individuals of lower socioeconomic status. 52 Consequently, future efforts should address this issue of great concern by sampling the broadest possible segment of the US population.…”

Development and validation of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ-Porto Alegre) for adolescent, adult and elderly populations from Southern Brazil

“…The establishment of overall eating patterns -the combination of foods and nutrients consumed by individuals 1 -makes it possible to identify the determinants of overweight, which are associated with high blood pressure 2 and other non-transmissible diseases 3 . There are several methods for the assessment of food and nutrient consumption and energy intake, including 24-hour recall (24hR), food diary, food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and biomarkers 4 .…”