National Center for Health in Public Housing
 
   

Overweight and Obesity

J Natl Med Assoc 2002 Jul;94(7):566-76. Trend in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among urban African American hospital employees and public housing residents. Shavers VL, Shankar S. Department of Epidemiology, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. shaversv@mail.nih.gov.

INTRODUCTION: To help understand the impact of socioeconomic status, we examined the current prevalence and age-specific trend in overweight and obesity among two socioeconomically diverse groups of African Americans in the Washington, DC, area. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data on height and weight were collected between March 1995 and December 1996 as a part of nutrition survey to develop a food frequency questionnaire. Gender-stratified multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine factors related to the current prevalence of overweight and obesity. RESULTS: Three hundred nine African American public housing residents and 293 African American hospital employees participated in this survey. Overall, hospital workers and public housing residents differed significantly in the distribution of BMI (p = 0.003). Among men, the prevalence of overweight and obesity were 34.9% and 29.4% for hospital workers and 27.0% and 18.2% for public housing residents, respectively. For females these rates were 31.3% and 46.3% for hospital employees and 26.1% and 42.9% for public housing residents, respectively. CONCLUSION: Overweight and obesity were highly prevalent among all age and socioeconomic groups. Future research should focus on a more in-depth study of the relationship between socioeconomic status and the correlates of obesity among African-Americans, particularly women.

J Am Diet Assoc 2000 Dec;100(12):1525-9. Validity and reliability of a modified qualitative dietary fat index in low-income, overweight, African American adolescent girls. Yaroch AL, Resnicow K, Petty AD, Khan LK. AMC Cancer Research Center, Center for Behavioral and Community Studies, 1600 Pierce St, Lakewood, CO 80214, USA.

This study evaluated the validity and reliability of a modified qualitative dietary fat index questionnaire (QFQ) in an adolescent minority population. The QFQ was administered to study participants twice over a 2-week period, and data were compared with mean values from three 24-hour recalls. Fifty-seven low-income, overweight, African American adolescent girls, aged 11 to 17 years, were recruited from 7 public housing developments in Atlanta, Georgia. To determine validity, the total QFQ score was compared with the mean values of total fat, percentage of energy from fat, and total energy from three 24-hour recalls within 2 weeks of first administration of the QFQ. Reliability was tested in a subsample (n = 22) by comparing total QFQ scores administered 2 weeks apart. Total fat was significantly correlated (r = 0.31, P < .05) with the QFQ score. Total energy (r = 20.23) and percentage of energy from fat (r = -0.23) were not significantly correlated with the QFQ score. The test-retest QFQ scores were significantly correlated (r = 0.54, P < .01). The data suggest that additional modifications are needed to make the QFQ more appropriate for low-income, over-weight, African American adolescent girls.

J Am Diet Assoc 2000 Dec;100(12):1525-9. Validity and reliability of a modified qualitative dietary fat index in low-income, overweight, African American adolescent girls. Yaroch AL, Resnicow K, Petty AD, Khan LK. AMC Cancer Research Center, Center for Behavioral and Community Studies, 1600 Pierce St, Lakewood, CO 80214, USA.

This study evaluated the validity and reliability of a modified qualitative dietary fat index questionnaire (QFQ) in an adolescent minority population. The QFQ was administered to study participants twice over a 2-week period, and data were compared with mean values from three 24-hour recalls. Fifty-seven low-income, overweight, African American adolescent girls, aged 11 to 17 years, were recruited from 7 public housing developments in Atlanta, Georgia. To determine validity, the total QFQ score was compared with the mean values of total fat, percentage of energy from fat, and total energy from three 24-hour recalls within 2 weeks of first administration of the QFQ. Reliability was tested in a subsample (n = 22) by comparing total QFQ scores administered 2 weeks apart. Total fat was significantly correlated (r = 0.31, P < .05) with the QFQ score. Total energy (r = 20.23) and percentage of energy from fat (r = -0.23) were not significantly correlated with the QFQ score. The test-retest QFQ scores were significantly correlated (r = 0.54, P < .01). The data suggest that additional modifications are needed to make the QFQ more appropriate for low-income, over-weight, African American adolescent girls.

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