title: Exploring differences in adiposity in two U.S. Hispanic populations of Mexican origin using social, behavioral, physiologic and genetic markers: the IRAS Family Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The census classification of Hispanic origin is used in epidemiological studies to group individuals, even though there is geographical, cultural, and genetic diversity within Hispanic Americans of purportedly similar backgrounds. We observed differences in our measures of adiposity between our two Mexican American populations, and examined whether these differences were attributed to social, behavioral, physiologic or genetic differences between the two populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the IRAS Family Study, we examined 478 Hispanics from San Antonio, Texas and 447 Hispanics from the San Luis Valley, Colorado. Associations with body mass index (BMI), visceral adipose tissue area (VAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue area (SAT) using social, behavioral, physiologic and genetic variables were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hispanics of Mexican origin in our clinic population in San Antonio had significantly higher mean BMI (31.09 vs. 28.35 kg/m2), VAT (126.3 vs. 105.5 cm2), and SAT (391.6 vs. 336.9 cm2), than Hispanics of Mexican origin in the San Luis Valley. The amount of variation in adiposity explained by clinic population was 4.5% for BMI, 2.8% for VAT, and 2.7% for SAT. After adjustment, clinic population was no longer associated with VAT and SAT, but remained associated with BMI, although the amount of variation explained by population was substantially less (1.0% for BMI).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adiposity differences within this population of Mexican origin can be largely explained by social, behavioral, physiologic and genetic differences.
authors: Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA.
authors: Kendra A
authors: KA
authors: Young
authors: Tasha E
authors: TE
authors: Fingerlin
authors: Carl D
authors: CD
authors: Langefeld
authors: Carlos
authors: C
authors: Lorenzo
authors: Steven M
authors: SM
authors: Haffner
authors: Lynne E
authors: LE
authors: Wagenknecht
authors: Jill M
authors: JM
authors: Norris
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003120:Colorado / Q000453:epidemiology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D005838:Genotype; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000235:genetics*; D010641:Phenotype; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012307:Risk Factors; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D014807:Vitamin D