TY - JOUR
T1 - Obesity and approaches to weight in an urban African-American community
AU - Clark, Jeanne M.
AU - Bone, Lee R.
AU - Stallings, Rebecca
AU - Gelber, Allan C.
AU - Barker, Anne
AU - Zeger, Scott
AU - Hill, Martha N.
AU - Levine, David M.
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - Objectives: To describe the prevalence of obesity, associated factors, and current approaches to weight in an inner city African-American community. Design: In-home survey by community health interviewers. Setting: Baltimore, Maryland. Participants: 2196 community residents identified in a probability sample of census blocks. Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported height and weight and calculated Body Mass Index (BMI), category of BMI, and stated weight goals. Results: Sixty percent of participants were overweight (BMI≥25 kg/m2), and 31% were obese (BMI≥30 kg/m2). In multivariate analysis, women, those earning $15,000-30,000, and those aged 45-60 were more likely to be obese; less likely to be obese were smokers, daily drinkers, and those with "good" or "excellent" health. Sixty-one percent of obese participants reported trying to lose weight, while 36% of normal weight participants were trying to gain weight. Of those trying to lose weight, 35% were using recommended approaches, and 26% received "the professional help they needed to control their weight." Conclusions: Although obesity was prevalent, few were using recommended weight loss strategies and a significant minority of normal weight participants were trying to gain weight, indicating a need for improved weight management and obesity prevention in the African-American community.
AB - Objectives: To describe the prevalence of obesity, associated factors, and current approaches to weight in an inner city African-American community. Design: In-home survey by community health interviewers. Setting: Baltimore, Maryland. Participants: 2196 community residents identified in a probability sample of census blocks. Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported height and weight and calculated Body Mass Index (BMI), category of BMI, and stated weight goals. Results: Sixty percent of participants were overweight (BMI≥25 kg/m2), and 31% were obese (BMI≥30 kg/m2). In multivariate analysis, women, those earning $15,000-30,000, and those aged 45-60 were more likely to be obese; less likely to be obese were smokers, daily drinkers, and those with "good" or "excellent" health. Sixty-one percent of obese participants reported trying to lose weight, while 36% of normal weight participants were trying to gain weight. Of those trying to lose weight, 35% were using recommended approaches, and 26% received "the professional help they needed to control their weight." Conclusions: Although obesity was prevalent, few were using recommended weight loss strategies and a significant minority of normal weight participants were trying to gain weight, indicating a need for improved weight management and obesity prevention in the African-American community.
KW - African Americans
KW - Obesity
KW - Weight
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M3 - Article
C2 - 11763292
AN - SCOPUS:0035460697
SN - 1049-510X
VL - 11
SP - 676
EP - 686
JO - Ethnicity and Disease
JF - Ethnicity and Disease
IS - 4
ER -