Does income and education matter less for overweight and obese African American women?

Obesity is a well-documented health concern in the United States, with adult African American women disproportionately represented with 80% considered overweight or obese according to their body mass index (BMI) rates. Despite this disturbing health statistic, there is a striking lack of evidence-based knowledge about the socioeconomic determinants of overweight and obesity for African American women. The Weighing In Workgroup (a community-academic collaboration comprised of faith-based and community health organizations, local stakeholders, and academic partners) distributed a 37-item anonymous health survey in local health and faith-based organizations, churches, and community centers in Washtenaw County, MI. The survey collected information on the health and well-being of women to better understand the various factors affecting their health, fitness, stress, and interactions with health professionals. A total of 314 women responded to the survey; of which 209 (67%) were African American women; this subsample is the focus of this report. Based on preliminary analyses, higher levels of income and educational attainment appear to be unrelated to overweight and obesity rates of African American women. Increases in education and income were not associated with decreased BMI; in fact, the rates of being overweight and/or obese remained constant across the income and education levels for African American women. This pilot data suggests that socioeconomic and educational factors may be less contiguously associated with obesity than socio-cultural and environmental factors for this group. Health interventions should consider more closely the complex nature of socioeconomic status in its relation to overweight and obesity for African American women.