Abstract
Objective: Asian Americans have low prevalence of overweight/obesity based on standard BMI cut points yet have higher rates of diabetes. We examined the prevalence of overweight/obesity, using lower BMI cut points recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for Asians, and diabetes in Asian American subgroups in California. Method: Secondary analysis of the 2009 adult California Health Interview Survey (n=45,946) of non-Hispanic Whites (NHW), African Americans, Hispanics and Asians (Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, South Asian and Japanese). WHO Asian BMI cut points (overweight=23-27.5kg/m2; obese≥27.5kg/m2) were used for Asian subgroups. Standard BMI cut points (overweight=25-29.9kg/m2; obese≥30kg/m2) were applied for other groups. Results: Among Asian subgroups, overweight/obesity was highest among Filipinos (78.6%), which was higher than NHWs (p<0.001) but similar to African Americans and Hispanics. Compared to NHW, diabetes prevalence was higher for Vietnamese, Koreans, Filipinos and South Asians with BMI=23-24.9kg/m2 and Koreans, Filipinos and Japanese with BMI=27.5-29.9kg/m2, the ranges WHO recommends as overweight or obese for Asians but not for other groups. Conclusions: Filipinos should be a priority population for overweight/obesity screening. Filipinos, Vietnamese, Korean, South Asians and Japanese have higher diabetes prevalence at lower BMI cut points. WHO Asian BMI cut points may have clinical utility to identify at-risk Asian Americans.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-6 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Preventive Medicine |
| Volume | 65 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2014 |
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Keywords
- Asian Americans
- Minority health
- Obesity
- Overweight
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
- Epidemiology
Cite this
Using appropriate body mass index cut points for overweight and obesity among Asian Americans. / Jih, Jane; Mukherjea, Arnab; Vittinghoff, Eric; Nguyen, Tung T.; Tsoh, Janice Y.; Fukuoka, Yoshii; Bender, Melinda S.; Tseng, Winston; Kanaya, Alka M.
In: Preventive Medicine, Vol. 65, 2014, p. 1-6.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Using appropriate body mass index cut points for overweight and obesity among Asian Americans
AU - Jih, Jane
AU - Mukherjea, Arnab
AU - Vittinghoff, Eric
AU - Nguyen, Tung T.
AU - Tsoh, Janice Y.
AU - Fukuoka, Yoshii
AU - Bender, Melinda S.
AU - Tseng, Winston
AU - Kanaya, Alka M.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Objective: Asian Americans have low prevalence of overweight/obesity based on standard BMI cut points yet have higher rates of diabetes. We examined the prevalence of overweight/obesity, using lower BMI cut points recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for Asians, and diabetes in Asian American subgroups in California. Method: Secondary analysis of the 2009 adult California Health Interview Survey (n=45,946) of non-Hispanic Whites (NHW), African Americans, Hispanics and Asians (Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, South Asian and Japanese). WHO Asian BMI cut points (overweight=23-27.5kg/m2; obese≥27.5kg/m2) were used for Asian subgroups. Standard BMI cut points (overweight=25-29.9kg/m2; obese≥30kg/m2) were applied for other groups. Results: Among Asian subgroups, overweight/obesity was highest among Filipinos (78.6%), which was higher than NHWs (p<0.001) but similar to African Americans and Hispanics. Compared to NHW, diabetes prevalence was higher for Vietnamese, Koreans, Filipinos and South Asians with BMI=23-24.9kg/m2 and Koreans, Filipinos and Japanese with BMI=27.5-29.9kg/m2, the ranges WHO recommends as overweight or obese for Asians but not for other groups. Conclusions: Filipinos should be a priority population for overweight/obesity screening. Filipinos, Vietnamese, Korean, South Asians and Japanese have higher diabetes prevalence at lower BMI cut points. WHO Asian BMI cut points may have clinical utility to identify at-risk Asian Americans.
AB - Objective: Asian Americans have low prevalence of overweight/obesity based on standard BMI cut points yet have higher rates of diabetes. We examined the prevalence of overweight/obesity, using lower BMI cut points recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for Asians, and diabetes in Asian American subgroups in California. Method: Secondary analysis of the 2009 adult California Health Interview Survey (n=45,946) of non-Hispanic Whites (NHW), African Americans, Hispanics and Asians (Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, South Asian and Japanese). WHO Asian BMI cut points (overweight=23-27.5kg/m2; obese≥27.5kg/m2) were used for Asian subgroups. Standard BMI cut points (overweight=25-29.9kg/m2; obese≥30kg/m2) were applied for other groups. Results: Among Asian subgroups, overweight/obesity was highest among Filipinos (78.6%), which was higher than NHWs (p<0.001) but similar to African Americans and Hispanics. Compared to NHW, diabetes prevalence was higher for Vietnamese, Koreans, Filipinos and South Asians with BMI=23-24.9kg/m2 and Koreans, Filipinos and Japanese with BMI=27.5-29.9kg/m2, the ranges WHO recommends as overweight or obese for Asians but not for other groups. Conclusions: Filipinos should be a priority population for overweight/obesity screening. Filipinos, Vietnamese, Korean, South Asians and Japanese have higher diabetes prevalence at lower BMI cut points. WHO Asian BMI cut points may have clinical utility to identify at-risk Asian Americans.
KW - Asian Americans
KW - Minority health
KW - Obesity
KW - Overweight
KW - Type 2 diabetes mellitus
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84899837942&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84899837942&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.04.010
DO - 10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.04.010
M3 - Article
C2 - 24736092
AN - SCOPUS:84899837942
VL - 65
SP - 1
EP - 6
JO - Preventive Medicine
JF - Preventive Medicine
SN - 0091-7435
ER -