Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113133

Carrol S. Perrino, PhD¹, Susan M. Gross, PhD, MPH, RD², and Pamela E. Scott-Johnson, PhD¹. (1) Department of Psychology, Morgan State University, 1700 E. Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21251, (2) Morgan-Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions, Morgan State University, Montebello Complex, Room D- 325, 1700 Cold Spring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21251, 443-885-4030, sgrossphd@yahoo.com

Trends indicating change in adult overweight status (BMI ³ 25) have been documented in a series of national studies from 1960 to the present. In the 1999-2000 NHANES survey, 64.5% American adults were classified as overweight signifying an increase for both men and women as well as African Americans and Caucasians from the 1988-1994 measurement. While no significant racial/ethnicity differences were apparent for men, African American women were significantly more overweight and obese than Caucasian women for all age groups. Might these disparities be attributable to socioeconomic differences rather than ethnicity? The current study used a population of two contiguous urban census tracts with similar representation of African American and Caucasian middle and low income residents in the Mid-Atlantic region, to evaluate the contribution of ethnicity to the prevalence of overweight status holding socioeconomic variables (education, household income, and wealth) constant. Data collection occurred through face-to-face interviews in homes or at health fairs in the community. Of the African Americans, 61% had Body Mass Indexes (kg/m²) of 25 or greater as compared to 39% of the Caucasians. Significant ethnicity differences were found for education and average household income below and above the poverty level. Wealth was not significantly related to ethnicity. Ethnicity remained a significant predictor of overweight, African Americans 1.3 times more likely to be overweight when compared to Caucasians. This relationship remained constant with education, household income and wealth measures entered in the model, only wealth a significant. None of the interactions were significant.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of this presentation, the participants will be able to
• 1.Describe how different measures of socioeconomic status may explain differences in weight status by race.
• 2.Recognize that weight status disparities remain even when the population is drawn from the same geographic environment.

Keywords: Obesity, Health Disparities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.