141st APHA Annual Meeting

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Obesity and lung capacity among healthy employees of a regional urban medical college in orissa, India: Is there a correlation?

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Dr. Pranati Nanda, M.B.B.S., M.D. , Dept. of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha - 751019, India
Dr. Nibedita Priyadarsini, M.B.B.S., M.D. , Dept. of Physiology, Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital, Ghatikia, Kalinganagar, Bhubaneswar 751003, Odisha, India
Ms. Amrita Satpathy, M.B.B.S. Student , Institute of Medical Sciences and Sum Hospital, Ghatikia, Bhubaneswar -, India
Dr. Joy P. Nanda, DSc, MS, MHS, MBA , Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions (Ret), Johns Hopkins University (Ret), Baltimore, MD
Obesity associated restrictive lung capacity is poorly understood, notably in an otherwise healthy population. To evaluate this relationship, we recruited only non-smokers without any pulmonary disorders and examined their body mass index (BMI) and standard pulmonary tests (fev1/fvc ratio and maximum voluntary ventilation in the 1st 15 seconds or MVV15).

We enrolled a convenient sample of 81 healthy non-smokers following consent and eligibility determination during a three-month period from employees at a regional medical college offering both medical education and tertiary health care. Participants were 51% females, mean age 29.8 years, with a mean BMI of 26.3 kg/m2. Mean FEV1/FVC ratio was 93.5 while mean MVV15 was 22 liters. About a quarter (23.5%) were obese per CDC categories.

Overall, BMI was inversely correlated with MVV15 (r=-0.24, p=0.03) but not with FEV1/FVC ratio (r= 0.1, p=ns). Analysis of mean MVV15 stratified by BMI categories showed an inverse (but not statistically significant) gradient MVV15 by ascending obesity categories (normal-overweight-obesity). In one multiple regression analyses, after adjusting for age, gender, FEV1/FVC ratio, overall BMI contributed to a quarter of a point lowering of MVV15 ( beta=-0.248, t=2.36, p=0.02), with the model explaining 26% of variance, while in a separate equation with same covariates, those classified as obese contributed almost a 4-point reduction in MVV15 (beta=3.83, t=2.73, p=0.008), with the latter model explaining 28% of variance in MVV15.

Obesity in otherwise healthy individuals may influence restrictive pulmonary function due to differential distribution of adipose tissues in the chest and abdomen, which needs further investigation.

Learning Areas:
Basic medical science applied in public health
Clinical medicine applied in public health
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs

Learning Objectives:
Analyze the relationship between obesity and pulmonary function indicators among employees at a regional urban medical college in Orissa, India

Keywords: Adult Health, Obesity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: As a faculty in Medicine, I have been teaching and conducting research in physiology to Medical students and PG residents for the last 25 years
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.