Prevalence of obesity and associated co-morbid conditions in a population-based sample of primarily urban Mexican Americans.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the prevalence and risk factors of obesity in a sample of primarily urban Mexican Americans (the fastest growing segment of the US population), and to examine the association between obesity and co-morbid conditions.


METHODS
Subjects were participants from a cross-sectional, population-based prevalence study. Data were collected on 6038 noninstitutionalized self-identified Latinos of primarily Mexican American ancestry age > or = 40 years from six census tracts in Los Angeles County, California. Obesity was defined having a body mass index > or = 30.0 kg/m2.


RESULTS
The overall prevalence of obesity was 50% (females 54% vs males 43%, P < .0001). Stepwise logistic regression analyses revealed that obesity was positively associated with being a former smoker (OR 1.5, P = .0009), being unemployed (OR 1.5, P < .0001), and with female sex (OR 1.3, P = .02). Obesity was negatively associated with being single or divorced (OR .8, P = .014), being a current smoker (OR .6, P < .0001), and with age > or = 70 years (OR .4, P < .0001). After adjusting for sex and age, obesity was significantly associated with the following systemic comorbidities: hypertension, heart failure, arthritis, diabetes, angina, back pain, and asthma (P < .01).


CONCLUSIONS
Because of the high prevalence of obesity and its associated systemic co-morbidities, an evaluation of current intervention programs is needed to determine the most effective approach to help decrease the prevalence of obesity and the risk of associated co-morbidities in this the fastest growing segment of the US population.
Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1450 San Pablo Street, DEI 4900, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Mina
M
Torres
Stanley
S
Azen
Rohit
R
Varma
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D014505:Urban Population