Factors Associated With Overweight and Obesity Among Mexican Americans and Central Americans
Author Information
Author(s): Janice V Bowie, Hee-Soon Juon, Elisa M Rodriguez, Juhee Cho
Primary Institution: Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
Hypothesis
What social, cultural, and behavioral factors are associated with overweight and obesity among Mexican American and Central American adults?
Conclusion
High rates of overweight and obesity among Mexican and Central Americans in California indicate the need for effective weight-loss interventions targeting these populations.
Supporting Evidence
- 36.8% of Mexican Americans were overweight and 26.2% were obese.
- 39.2% of Central Americans were overweight and 22.2% were obese.
- Age, education, and access to health care were associated with overweight among Central American men.
Takeaway
This study found that many Mexican and Central Americans in California are overweight or obese, and different factors affect their weight based on their background.
Methodology
Cross-sectional analysis of data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey using SUDAAN software.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to reliance on self-reported data and the cross-sectional nature of the study.
Limitations
The study was based on self-reported height and weight, which may lead to misclassification of weight status.
Participant Demographics
Participants included 8304 Mexican Americans and 1019 Central Americans, with a mean age of 36.7 years for Mexican Americans and 37.6 years for Central Americans.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
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