title: Changes in waist circumference and body mass index in the US CARDIA cohort: fixed-effects associations with self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination.
abstract: Prior studies examining the association between self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination and obesity have had mixed results and primarily been cross-sectional. This study tests the hypothesis that an increase in self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination predicts gains in waist circumference and body mass index in Black and White women and men over eight years. In race/ethnicity- and gender-stratified models, this study examined whether change in self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination predicts changes in waist circumference and body mass index over time using a fixed-effects regression approach in SAS statistical software, providing control for both measured and unmeasured time-invariant covariates. Between 1992-93 and 2000-01, self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination decreased among 843 Black women (75% to 73%), 601 Black men (80% to 77%), 893 White women (30% to 23%) and 856 White men (28% to 23%). In fixed-effects regression models, controlling for all time-invariant covariates, social desirability bias, and changes in education and parity (women only) over time, an increase in self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination over time was significantly associated with an increase in waist circumference (β=1.09, 95% CI: 0.00-2.19, p=0.05) and an increase in body mass index (β=0.67, 95% CI: 0.19-1.16, p=0.007) among Black women. No associations were observed among Black men and White women and men. These findings suggest that an increase in self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic discrimination may be associated with increases in waist circumference and body mass index among Black women over time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Timothy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: Lisa F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Berkman
authors.forename: Ichiro
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kawachi
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Teresa E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Seeman
authors.forename: Catarina I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Kiefe
authors.forename: Steven L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Gortmaker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D063505:Racism; D012737:Sex Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014481:United States; D055105:Waist Circumference; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult