Associations among body mass index, waist circumference, and health indicators in American Indian and Alaska Native adults.
OBJECTIVE
Little is known about obesity-related health issues among American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) populations.


METHODS
A large cohort of AIAN people was assembled to evaluate factors associated with health.


METHODS
The study was conducted in Alaska and on the Navajo Nation.


METHODS
A total of 11,293 AIAN people were included.


METHODS
We present data for body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) and waist circumference (cm) to evaluate obesity-related health factors.


RESULTS
Overall, 32.4% of the population were overweight (BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2), 47.1% were obese (BMI > or = 30 kg/m2), and 21.4% were very obese (BMI, > or = 35 kg/m2). A waist circumference greater than 102 cm for men and greater than 88 cm for women was observed for 41.7% of men and 78.3% of women. Obese people were more likely to perceive their health as fair/poor than nonobese participants (prevalence ratio [PR], 1.91; 95% CI, 1.71-2.14). Participants younger than 30 years were three times more likely to perceive their health as being fair or poor when their BMI results were 35 or greater compared with those whose BMI results were less than 25 kg/m2. A larger BMI was associated with having multiple medical conditions, fewer hours of vigorous activity, and more hours of television watching.


CONCLUSIONS
Given the high rates of obesity in AIAN populations and the association of obesity with other health conditions, it is important to reduce obesity among AIAN people.
University of Utah, Department of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84108 USA. marty.slattery@hsc.utah.edu
Martha L
ML
Slattery
Elizabeth D
ED
Ferucci
Maureen A
MA
Murtaugh
Sandra
S
Edwards
Khe-Ni
KN
Ma
Ruth A
RA
Etzel
Lillian
L
Tom-Orme
Anne P
AP
Lanier
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000413:Alaska / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D004930:Inuit; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D015206:Southwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055105:Waist Circumference; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio