title: Effects of race, cigarette smoking, and use of contraceptive medications on resting energy expenditure in young women.
abstract: The prevalence of obesity is higher in Black women than in White women (JAMA 1994;272:205-11; Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1995;149:1085-91). Although it has been shown that Black women have a lower resting energy expenditure (REE), factors affecting REE remain unclear. This 1996-1997 study in Cincinnati, Ohio, assessed racial differences in REE and their determinants in a biracial cohort of 152 healthy young women aged 18-21 years. Two indirect calorimetric measurements were obtained during two overnight hospital admissions 10-14 days apart. Body composition was measured by using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Mean REE (adjusted for body composition, smoking, and contraceptive medication use) was significantly (p = 0.04) lower by 71 kcal/day in Black women (1,453 (standard error, 21) kcal/day) than in White women (1,524 (standard error, 19) kcal/day). Smoking was associated with a REE that was 68 kcal/day higher for both groups (p = 0.03). A trend (p = 0.07) toward increased REE (by 46 kcal/day) was found with contraceptive medication use. In conclusion, young Black women had a significantly lower REE than did White women. Cigarette smoking significantly increased REE. The apparent presence of a more parsimonious energy metabolism in Black women suggests that maintenance of energy homeostasis requires particular vigilance in this high-risk population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. kimm+@pitt.edu
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kimm
authors.forename: N W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Glynn
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Aston
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Poehlman
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Daniels
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D044383:Black People; D001823:Body Composition; D003276:Contraceptives, Oral / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012146:Rest; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D003276:Contraceptives, Oral