The Relationship between Childhood Obesity, Low Socioeconomic Status, and Race/Ethnicity: Lessons from Massachusetts.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown race/ethnicity, particularly African American and/or Hispanic status, to be a predictor of overweight/obese status in children. However, these studies have failed to adjust for low socioeconomic status (SES). This study assessed whether race/ethnicity remained an independent predictor of childhood obesity when accounting for variations in SES (low-income) among communities in Massachusetts. METHODS: This study was based on 2009 summarized data from 68 Massachusetts school districts with 111,799 students in grades 1, 4, 7, and 10. We studied the relationship between the rate of overweight/obese students (mean = 0.32; range = 0.10-0.46), the rate of African American and Hispanic students (mean = 0.17; range = 0.00-0.90), and the rate of low-income students (mean = 0.27; range = 0.02-0.87) in two and three dimensions. The main effect of the race/ethnicity rate, the low-income rate, and their interaction on the overweight and obese rate was investigated by multiple regression modeling. RESULTS: Low-income was highly associated with overweight/obese status (p < 0.0001), whereas the effect of race/ethnicity (p = 0.27) and its interaction (p = 0.23) with low-income were not statistically significant. For every 1% increase in low-income, there was a 1.17% increase in overweight/obese status. This pattern was observed across all African American and Hispanic rates in the communities studied. CONCLUSIONS: Overweight/obese status was highly prevalent among Massachusetts students, varying from 10% to 46% across communities. Although there were higher rates of overweight/obese status among African American and Hispanic students, the relationship disappeared when controlling for family income. Our findings suggest low SES plays a more significant role in the nation's childhood obesity epidemic than race/ethnicity.

A middle school intervention to improve health behaviors and reduce cardiac risk factors.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to measure the impact of a school-based multidisciplinary intervention program on risk factors for atherosclerosis in sixth-grade middle school students. We also measured health behaviors before and after the intervention using a validated questionnaire. METHODS: A prospective study was performed in which students served as historical controls. Sixth-grade students from 23 middle schools in 12 cities with varying populations were exposed to a program promoting healthful activity and nutrition habits through educational and environmental change. Along with a modified School-Based Nutrition Monitoring behavioral questionnaire, physiologic risk factors were studied, including body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, cholesterol panel, and random blood glucose, which were measured before the 10-week program and again 1 to 3 months after program completion. RESULTS: Of 4021 sixth graders (male, 49%) at 23 middle schools completing a before and after behavioral survey, 2118 students, aged 11.56 ± 0.47 years, consented to participate in the screening. The mean total cholesterol value decreased from 161.64 ± 28.99 mg/dL to 154.77 ± 27.26 mg/dL (P < .001). The low-density lipoprotein value decreased from 89.37 ± 25.08 mg/dL to 87.14 ± 24.25 mg/dL (P < .001). The high-density lipoprotein value decreased from 52.15 ± 13.35 md/dL to 49.95 ± 13.28 mg/dL (P < .001). The measure of triglycerides decreased from 113.34 ± 73.19 mg/dL to 101.22 ± 63.93 mg/dL (P < .001). The random glucose value decreased from 97.51 ± 16.00 to 94.94 ± 16.62 (P < .001). The mean systolic blood pressure decreased from 109.47 ± 15.26 mm Hg to 107.76 ± 10.87 mm Hg (P < .001), and the mean diastolic blood pressure decreased from 64.78 ± 8.57 mm Hg to 63.35 ± 7.81 mm Hg (P < .001). These changes in physiologic measures seemed to correlate with self-reported increases in vegetable and fruit consumption, increases in physical activity, and less screen time. CONCLUSIONS: Project Healthy Schools, a middle school intervention to improve childhood cardiovascular risk factors, is feasible and seems to be effective. The results showed significant improvements in risk factors associated with early atherosclerosis among sixth-grade students, including total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures. Further study with a larger group of students and a longer follow-up period would be valuable.

Understanding childhood obesity in America: linkages between household income, community resources, and children's behaviors.

BACKGROUND: Understanding childhood obesity's root causes is critical to the creation of strategies to improve our children's health. We sought to define the association between childhood obesity and household income and how household income and childhood behaviors promote childhood obesity. METHODS: We assessed body mass index in 109,634 Massachusetts children, identifying the percentage of children who were overweight/obese versus the percentage of children in each community residing in low-income homes. We compared activity patterns and diet in 999 sixth graders residing in 4 Michigan communities with varying annual household income. RESULTS: In Massachusetts, percentage of overweight/obese by community varied from 9.6% to 42.8%. As household income dropped, percentage of overweight/obese children rose. In Michigan sixth graders, as household income goes down, frequency of fried food consumption per day doubles from 0.23 to 0.54 (P < .002), and daily TV/video time triples from 0.55 to 2.00 hours (P < .001), whereas vegetable consumption and moderate/vigorous exercise go down. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of overweight/obese children rises in communities with lower household income. Children residing in lower income communities exhibit poorer dietary and physical activity behaviors, which affect obesity.

Health status and behavior among middle-school children in a midwest community: what are the underpinnings of childhood obesity?

BACKGROUND: Childhood obesity is one of the nation's foremost health challenges. How much of this is due to lifestyle choices? The objective of the study was to determine health behaviors that contribute to obesity in sixth-grade children. METHODS: To assess which health habits contribute to childhood obesity, we studied body mass index, blood pressure, lipid profile, glucose, and heart rate recovery after a 3-minute step test among sixth-grade children enrolled in a school-based intervention study from 2004 to 2009, comparing health behaviors and physiologic markers in obese versus nonobese children. Univariate associations with obesity (P values≤.10) were entered into a stepwise logistic regression to identify independent predictors. RESULTS: Among 1,003 sixth graders (55% white, 15% African American; average age 11.5 years), 150 (15%) were obese. Obese students had higher levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and recovery heart rates. They consumed more regular soda and school lunches but were less likely to engage in physical activities. Obese students were more likely to watch TV≥2 hours per day. Independent predictors were watching TV or video games (odds ratio [OR] 1.19, 95% CI 1.06-1.33) and school lunch consumption (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.02-1.64); moderate exercise was protective (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.82-0.98). CONCLUSIONS: Obesity is present in 15% of our sixth graders and is associated with major differences in cardiovascular risk factors. Opportunities to improve childhood health should emphasize programs that increase physical activity, reduce recreational screen time, and improve nutritional value of school lunches. Whether genetic or not, childhood obesity can be attacked.