Obesity and approaches to weight in an urban African-American community.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the prevalence of obesity, associated factors, and current approaches to weight in an inner city African-American community.


METHODS
In-home survey by community health interviewers.


METHODS
Baltimore, Maryland.


METHODS
2196 community residents identified in a probability sample of census blocks.


METHODS
Self-reported height and weight and calculated Body Mass Index (BMI), category of BMI, and stated weight goals.


RESULTS
Sixty percent of participants were overweight (BMI> or =25 kg/m2), and 31% were obese (BMI> or =30 kg/m2). In multivariate analysis, women, those earning $15,000-30,000, and those aged 45-60 were more likely to be obese; less likely to be obese were smokers, daily drinkers, and those with "good" or "excellent" health. Sixty-one percent of obese participants reported trying to lose weight, while 36% of normal weight participants were trying to gain weight. Of those trying to lose weight, 35% were using recommended approaches, and 26% received "the professional help they needed to control their weight."


CONCLUSIONS
Although obesity was prevalent, few were using recommended weight loss strategies and a significant minority of normal weight participants were trying to gain weight, indicating a need for improved weight management and obesity prevention in the African-American community.
Clark
J M
JM
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA. jmclark@jhmi.edu
Bone
L R
LR
Stallings
R
R
Gelber
A C
AC
Barker
A
A
Zeger
S
S
Hill
M N
MN
Levine
D M
DM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015142:Baltimore / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D014505:Urban Population; D015431:Weight Loss