Public Health Commons^™

Obesity And Lack Of Physical Activity, Hatim A. Omar, Efrat Merrick-Kenig, Joav Merrick

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Lack of physical activity and overweight status continues to be a significant health problem in the United States. To assess the actual prevalence of these problems, we reviewed data from the School-based Health Promotion Centers in one middle school, and one high school in central Kentucky. A total of 232 6th graders and 607 9th graders were included. A total of 92% of 6th graders and 45% of 9th graders reported complete lack of regular exercise. 37% of 9th graders and 59% of 6th graders had inappropriate nutrition, 47% of 9th graders and 33% of 6th graders had Body Mass …

Childhood Obesity In Minority Populations In The United States, Qi Zhang, Youfa Wang

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Obesity became a public health crisis in the United States, which affects both adults and children.^1,2,24,25 Approximately 31% of U.S. children and adolescents aged 2-19 years were overweight or obese, and almost 17% were obese in 1999-2004.^3-5,24 Studies suggest that increased consumption of more energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods with high levels of sugar and saturated fats, combined with reduced physical activity, have contributed to the rising obesity epidemic among children.^6,21,28 Childhood obesity increased the risk of many diet-related chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, and certain forms of cancers.⁷ It is important to …

Promoting Healthy Weight In The Preschool Years: A Portfolio And Planning Guide To Address Barriers In Primary Care, Margaret Miller, Renee Campbell-Pope, Lydia Hearn

Research outputs pre 2011

The rapidly rising incidence of overweight and obesity in Australia, particularly among young children has led to an urgent need for effective prevention. Recent figures indicate that 15% of preschool children in Australia are overweight, and a further 6% are obese1,2, with rates rising steadily especially among children from lower socioeconomic groups.

Family, childcare, primary health care, early childhood education and the community are influential environments for young children3-7 with the potential to engage in an integrated approach to promote healthy weight and development of healthy eating and active lifestyle habits during the pre-school years5,8,9.

In 2006, the Child Health …

Engaging Primary Health Care Providers In The Promotion Of Healthy Weight Among Young Children: Barriers And Enablers For Policy And Management, Lydia A. Hearn, Margaret R. Miller, Donna S. Cross

Research outputs pre 2011

Recent national efforts to stem the alarming growth of childhood overweight and obesity in Australia have highlighted the importance of preventative strategies that focus beyond the child-on parents, families, primary health care providers (PHCPs) and child care services. But, while such efforts have to date focused on school-based interventions, once poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles have set in, a growing body of research is indicating that PHCPs can play a more influential role in monitoring and modifying factors affecting prevention and early intervention in preschool children. This paper presents the findings of a systematic review to: (a) identify key …

Neighborhood Context And Ethnicity Differences In Body Mass Index: A Multilevel Analysis Using The Nhanes Iii (1988-1994), D. Phuong Do, Tamara Dubowitz, Chloe E. Bird, Nicole Lurie, José J. Escarce, Brian K. Finch

Faculty Publications

A growing body of literature has documented a link between neighborhood context and health outcomes. However, little is known about the relationship between neighborhood context and body mass index (BMI) or whether the association between neighborhood context and BMI differs by ethnicity. This paper investigates several neighborhood characteristics as potential explanatory factors for the variation of BMI across the United States; further, this paper explores to what extent segregation and the concentration of disadvantage across neighborhoods help explain ethnic disparities in BMI. Using data geo-coded at the census tract-level and linked with individual-level data from the Third National Health and …

Food Insecurity And Subsequent Weight Gain In Women, Sonya J. Jones, Edward A. Frongillo Jr.

Faculty Publications

Objective: Cross-sectional data indicate that a relationship between household food insecurity and overweight exists among women in the USA. Cross-sectional data cannot determine if food insecurity leads to overweight as some have hypothesised. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship of food insecurity with subsequent weight gain in women using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID).

Design, setting and subjects:Panel data from the 1999 and 2001 PSID, a nationally representative sample of households, were analysed using multivariate regression procedures.

Results: Average weight gain among all women (n=5595) was 1.1 kg …

Evaluating If The Built Environment Has A Substantial Effect On Obesity In Fayette County, Kentucky, Will Warren

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

Background:

Obesity is a major health issue in the United States and Fayette County. As Fayette County has become increasingly obese, it too has had an issue of sprawl within its urban service area and beyond. Relationships between obesity and aspects of the built environment are continuing to be studied.

Objective:

To evaluate the impact certain factors may have on the body mass index of Fayette County residents, in particular whether urban sprawl has an overriding impact on the weight of residents.

Methods:

The study area used was Fayette County, which was broken down into its fourteen zip code areas …

Using Concentration Index To Study Changes In Socio-Economic Inequality Of Overweight Among Us Adolescents Between 1971 And 2002, Qi Zhang, Youfa Wang

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: The prevalence of overweight among adolescents continues to increase in the United States. This study examines the changes in socio-economic status (SES) inequality of overweight among US adolescents in the past three decades.

Methods: Concentration Index (CI) was utilized to measure changes in the SES inequality in prevalence of overweight among US adolescents. Data collected from 15286 adolescents in four waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) between 1971 and 2002 and Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES) (1982-84) were used.

Results: Changes in the SES inequality of overweight among US adolescents and considerable gender …

Obesity, Physical Activity, And Mortality In A Prospective Chinese Elderly Cohort, Mary Schooling, Tai Hing Lam, Zhi Bin Li, Sai Yin Ho, Wai Man Chan, Kin Sang Ho, May Ked Tham, Benjamin J. Cowling, Gabriel M. Leung

Publications and Research

Background
In older people, it is unclear whether obesity relates to mortality, which calls into question its etiologic role in disease and its public health relevance. This apparent lack of relationship in older people could be an artifactual result of their diverse health states.

Methods
We used Cox regression analysis to determine whether the effect of body mass index (BMI) (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) or physical activity on mortality varied with health status in a prospective cohort study of Chinese people 65 years or older enrolled from 1998 to 2000 at …

An Assessment Of Obese And Non Obese Girls’ Metabolic Rate During Television Viewing, Reading, And Resting., Theodore Cooper, L. Klesges, M. Debon, R. Klesges, M. Shelton

Selected Works Temporary Series

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of Obese And Non Obese Girls’ Metabolic Rate During Television Viewing, Reading, And Resting., Theodore Cooper, L. Klesges, M. Debon, R. Klesges, M. Shelton

Departmental Papers (Psych)

No abstract provided.

Does Falling Smoking Lead To Rising Obesity?, Jonathan Gruber, Michael D. Frakes

Faculty Scholarship

The strong negative correlation over time between smoking rates and obesity have led some to suggest that reduced smoking is increasing weight gain in the U.S.. This conclusion is supported by the findings of Chou et al. (2004), who conclude that higher cigarette prices lead to increased body weight. We investigate this issue and find no evidence that reduced smoking leads to weight gain. Using the cigarette tax rather than the cigarette price and controlling for non-linear time effects, we find a negative effect of cigarette taxes on body weight, implying that reduced smoking leads to lower body weights. Yet …

Association Between Dietary Carbohydrates And Body Weight, Yunsheng Ma, Barbara Olendzki, David Chiriboga, James R. Hébert, Youfu Li, Wenjun Li, Mary Jane Campbell, Katherine Gendreau, Ira S. Ockene

Faculty Publications

The role of dietary carbohydrates in weight loss has received considerable attention in light of the current obesity epidemic. The authors investigated the association of body mass index (weight (kg)/height (m)²) with dietary intake of carbohydrates and with measures of the induced glycemic response, using data from an observational study of 572 healthy adults in central Massachusetts. Anthropometric measurements, 7-day dietary recalls, and physical activity recalls were collected quarterly from each subject throughout a 1-year study period. Data were collected between 1994 and 1998. Longitudinal analyses were conducted, and results were adjusted for other factors related to body …

Prevalence Of Obesity And Lack Of Physical Activity Among Kentucky Adolescents, Hatim A. Omar, Kristin Rager

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Lack of physical activity and overweight status continues to be a significant health problem in the United States. To assess the actual prevalence of these problems, we reviewed data from the School-based Health Promotion Centers in one middle school, and one High school in central Kentucky. A total of 232 6th graders and 607 9th graders were included. A total of 92% of 6th graders and 45% of 9th graders reported complete lack of regular exercise. 37% of 9th graders and 59% of 6th graders had inappropriate nutrition, 47% of 9th graders and 33% of 6th graders had Body Mass …

Assessing The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Variables And Risk Of Overweight Among Children 6 Years Of Age, Marilyn Cochon Batan

Theses and Dissertations

Background: The percentage of overweight children has tripled in the last thirty years. Inconsistent findings are published regarding the relationship between socioeconomic variables and being overweight in childhood.Objective: To determine whether socioeconomic variables are associated with risk of being overweight among six year olds. Methods: Six year olds with BMI data were selected from the National Survey of Children's Health (n=4,362). Variables were coded and a low socioeconomic index was created. Using population weights, descriptive statistics were generated and regression was utilized to assess the relationship between socioeconomic variables and being 'at risk' for overweight. Socioeconomic variables were also compared …

Prevention Conference Vii - Obesity, A Worldwide Epidemic Related To Heart Disease And Stroke: Executive Summary, Robert H. Eckel, David A. York, Stephan Rössner, Van Hubbard, Ian Caterson, Sachiko T. St. Jeor, Laura L. Hayman, Rebecca M. Mullis, Steven N. Blair

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Clinical Implications Of Obesity With Specific Focus On Cardiovascular Disease: A Statement For Professionals From The American Heart Association Council On Nutrition, Physical Activity, And Metabolism, Samuel Klein, Lora E. Burke, George A. Bray, Steven N. Blair, David B. Allison, Xavier Pi-Sunyer, Yuling Hong, Robert H. Eckel

Faculty Publications

Obesity adversely affects cardiac function, increases the risk factors for coronary heart disease, and is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The risk of developing coronary heart disease is directly related to the concomitant burden of obesity-related risk factors. Modest weight loss can improve diastolic function and affect the entire cluster of coronary heart disease risk factors simultaneously. This statement from the American Heart Association Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism reviews the relationship between obesity and the cardiovascular system, evaluates the effect of weight loss on coronary heart disease risk factors and coronary heart disease, and provides …

Economic Efficiency And Consumer Choice Theory In Nutritional Labeling, Michael Mccann

Law Faculty Scholarship

As more Americans consume fast food each year, more Americans are contracting serious diseases related to obesity. Considering that obesity ranks second behind tobacco use as the largest contributor to mortality rates in the United States, and also that it gives rise to greater publicly funded health care expenses than does tobacco, this phenomenon begs the obvious question: To what extent does the growing consumption of fast food contribute to the obesity epidemic and the incidence of disease? If the answer indicates a meaningful contribution, a natural follow-up question then emerges: In a sensible legal system, what instruments would best …

Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Profile Of African American College Freshmen, Theodosha S. Gilliard

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Background: Rates of CVD are higher among African Americans compared to whites and natives of South Carolina and the Southeast compared to non-natives. Obesity, a CVD risk factor, is also known to be more prevalent in African Americans compared to whites. Ethnic differences in body image are thought to play a role in the higher rates of obesity among African Americans compared to whites. This study investigated the prevalence of CVD risk factors and body image in an at risk population, African American adolescents primarily from the state of South Carolina. Research Design and Methods: Students were given a Health …

Body Image And Attitudes Toward Obesity In College Students, Sarah Rebecca Goodwin

Theses and Dissertations

The current study was conducted in order to examine the impact of ethnicity on gender differences in body type preferences and perceptions and add to the literature examining racial differences in body type preferences and perceptions. The current study was an expansion of one by Gipson et al conducted at a historically Black university in 2004, in which responses and BMI measurements of 191 college students were examined for associations between BMI and gender, and body image and attitudes toward obesity. For the current study the sample of 176 college students enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University, an ethnically diverse institution, …

Association Between The Frequency Of Physical Education Classes And The Prevalence Of Overweight/Obesity In Adolescents, Collin N. Rice

Theses and Dissertations

Background/Objective: Overweight and obesity has been steadily on the rise in the United States for all groups. The prevalence of obesity for adolescents has tripled since 1980. The purpose of this study is to determine an association between the frequency of physical education classes and the prevalence of overweight/obesity in adolescents in the United States.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that used the 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) of the Center for Disease Control. The outcome variable for the study was Body Mass Index (BMI). A BMI of 25 or greater was considered overweight or obese. The main independent …

Obesity And Health Status Among Urban Vs. Suburban Elderly In Philadelphia And Surrounding Counties, Ockidde Dufayne Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is a dangerous health condition affecting approximately 30% of all Americans and can be attributed to 300,000 deaths a year. Obesity has been found to disproportionately affect Blacks, Latinos, and those with lower SES. Although obesity is a problem for all age groups, its prevalence is highest among those 60-74 years of age. Studies have shown that there is an association between obesity and chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, arthritis, cancers, and type-2 diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control, chronic health conditions affect 80% of all elderly persons, many times limiting function and decreasing quality of …

Nutrition And Disability, Kathleen Humphries, Meg Traci, Tom Seekins Ph.D., Joyce Brusin, University Of Montana Rural Institute

Health and Wellness

A disability often can be complicated by additional medical, psychological, or environmental problems. Under an emerging framework of health promotion for persons with disabilities, these additional health problems are referred to as secondary conditions (Brandt & Pope, 1997; Marge, 1988; Pope & Tarlov, 1991). Until recently, it was common to conceptualize these ailments as symptomatic of the primary disability; however, it is now presumed that because these conditions can be prevented or managed, they are secondary conditions distinct from the primary disability. Although information on secondary conditions experienced by people with developmental disabilities is limited, the literature does contain descriptions …

Fear Of Fatness Among Young Irish Adolescents : Association With Obesity, Reported Iron And Folate Intake, And Dental Health, Anne C. Griffin

Doctoral

OBJECTIVE: To establish the prevalence of fear of fatness (the desire to be thinner) and associated factors, including obesity, reported energy, iron and folate intakes. The difficulties in defining overweight among Irish children and an assessment of dietary and socio-economic factors related to dental caries and also reported in the group. METHODS: A one-year follow up study of 251 healthy schoolchildren at baseline (119 boys and 132 girls; mean age 11 years) attending 7 fee-paying (6 single- and 1-mixed sex) and 8 non-fee-paying (4 single- and 4 mixed-sex) schools in Dublin city center. Assessment of body image perceptions and satisfaction …

The Relationship Between Diet, Activity, And Other Factors, And Postpartum Weight Change By Race, Debra J. Boardley, Roger G. Sargent, Ann L. Coker, James R. Hussey, Patricia A. Sharpe

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objective: To identify the impact of dietary intake and activity level on postpartum weight change.

Methods: White (n = 121) and black (n = 224) women, 7-12 months postpartum, participating in the Special Supplemental Feeding Program for Women, Infants, and Children were assessed for dietary intake, activity level, body weight, and other maternal characteristics.

Results: For both black and white women, the most important variables in predicting postpartum weight loss were pre-pregnancy weight, gestational weight gain, parity, and prenatal exercise. After these factors were controlled, race predicted that black women retained 6.4 lb more than white women. These results may …

Body Composition And Its Outcomes And Management In Multiple Sclerosis: Narrative Review, H W Van Landuyt, J Boelaert, P Piot, L Verbist

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: There is emerging interest in obesity and its prevalence, outcomes, and management in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Body mass index (BMI) is the traditional marker of obesity in MS, whereas body composition, inclusive of specific body tissue compartments (e.g., fat, bone, and muscle), is often overlooked despite its relevance.

Objective: This narrative review (a) underscored the use and utility of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) as an accurate and reliable measure of body composition; (b) thematically analyzed and synthesized the current evidence regarding body composition (using DEXA); and (c) determined gaps to be addressed in future research.

Methods: The …