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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Tracy M. Hilliard, MPH, Department of Health Services, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, Box 357660, Seattle, WA 98195-7660, 206-715-3867, tmhill@u.washington.edu

The association of excess body weight with several chronic diseases makes the obesity epidemic a major public health concern. It has been well documented in the literature that among United States adults, obesity is more prevalent in lower socioeconomic status (SES) groups. Understanding the mechanisms by which race and gender influence the association between SES and obesity may help identify strategies to prevent and manage this disease. Participants were 5993 adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted in 2001-2002. SES was defined by annual household income and education. Obesity was defined by a body mass index (BMI) of thirty or higher. The mean age in our sample was 47 years. Thirty-eight percent of our sample was obese. Nearly 48% of the sample was female. Participants' educational backgrounds ranged from 33% not being high school graduates, 24% having a high school diploma or GED, and 43% having more than high school or GED training. Income was distributed broadly across income brackets--25% of participants reported incomes between $0-$19,999, 31% reported incomes between $20,000-$44,999, 22% reported incomes between $45,000-$74,999, and 22% reported incomes of $75,000 or more. Half of our sample described their race/ethnicity as non-Hispanic White. Mexican Americans comprised 22% of the sample, followed by non-Hispanic Blacks (20%), and other-Hispanic/other race (8%). Multivariate analyses to determine whether race and gender moderate the association between SES and obesity will be presented. Investigating these mechanisms has the potential to impact public health policies and interventions.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Understand the need for research examining the mechanisms by which race and gender influence the relationship between SES and obesity.
• Describe the analyses used to test the associations between obesity and SES when testing for a moderating effect of race and gender.
• Apply the methods, results, and conclusions of this investigation regarding the association between obesity and socioeconomic status to public health policies and interventions.

Keywords: Obesity, Social Inequalities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered