title: Diabetes and obesity in the Louisiana Coushatta Indians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In order to assist their community in planning intervention and prevention programs, prevalence rates for diabetes and obesity were examined among the Louisiana Coushatta.
  
  
  METHODS
  Coushatta individuals participated in a health survey (questionnaires and physical examinations). Those without known diabetes underwent oral glucose tolerance testing and were classified as having normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), or diabetes mellitus (DM). Those with known DM had the diagnosis confirmed by history and/or elevated hemoglobin A1c. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body mass index (BMI), and percent body fat (%BF) were determined as measures of central adiposity and obesity. Prevalence rates of diabetes and obesity among those examined were calculated. The prevalence of those with more than one anthropometric index positive for obesity was also determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of DM was 30% and IGT was 17% among the first 151 Coushatta participants. For males, the prevalence of obesity was 62%, 57%, and 52%, and for females, 59%, 54%, 45%, as determined by the BMI, %BF, and WHR, respectively. Obesity was more prevalent among those with glucose intolerance (IGT + DM) than those with NGT, and those who were obese had the highest prevalence of glucose intolerance. A greater percentage of those with glucose intolerance had more than one positive obesity measure as compared to those with NGT, and those with more than one index consistent with obesity had a greater prevalence of IGT + DM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prevalence rates of DM and obesity are high among the Louisiana Coushatta, and obesity is associated with glucose intolerance. Clustering of the three obesity measures occurs in a high percentage of individuals. Data from the current survey are providing information that is being used by the Coushatta community for health planning and development of intervention and prevention programs.
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Center, an affiliate of the General Health System, Baton Rouge, USA.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: W D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Scheer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oalmann
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Boudreau
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Borne
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gatchair-Rose
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Weems
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: DeMourelle
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Post
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Arabie
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D018672:Community Health Planning; D048909:Diabetes Complications; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008145:Louisiana / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution