Sociodemographic and health correlates of overweight and obesity in California teenagers

OBJECTIVE: To assess the determinants of overweight and obesity in California teenagers, a secondary data analysis of the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) 2007 was conducted among 5,658 12-17 year old subjects. METHODS: The CHIS is a multistage sampling, weighted, random digital dialing interview survey, representative of the California population. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression models were fit to assess the association between weight status categories and selected sociodemographic, health service, and lifestyle factors. RESULTS: A total of 3638 subjects' observations were included, representing 3,510,711 subjects. Multivariate analyses showed greater odds of being at risk for overweight for Latinos vs. Whites (OR 1.56; 95% CI 1.03, 2.35), subjects reporting poor to fair health status (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.23, 3.22), and those with unmarried parents (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.07, 2.9) vs. married. Naturalized citizens had lower odds of overweight (0.24; 95% CI 0.07, 0.76) and obesity (OR 0.31; 05% CI 0.11, 0.90), compared with US born subjects. African Americans (OR 2.9; 95% CI 1.6, 5.3) and Latinos (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.5, 3.4 had greater odds of obesity than Whites, as well as males compared to females (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.4, 3.0). CONCLUSION: The contributions of dietary habits, physical activity and sedentary lifestyles to overweight and obesity were overshadowed by those of ethnicity, gender and first migrant generation. Notwithstanding the possibility of reverse causation, the association of overweight and obesity with poorer self-rated health status and asthma calls for preventative and therapeutic interventions directed to African American and Latino overweight and obese teenagers.