title: Obesity and overweight in ethnic minorities of the Detroit metropolitan area of Michigan.
abstract: Race, ethnicity and socioeconomic factors influence the prevalence of obesity and overweight, which are major public health problems. Our objectives were (1) to calculate the prevalence of self-reported obesity and overweight in whites, blacks, Chaldeans, and Arabs in the Detroit metropolitan area; and (2) to examine the odds for self-reported overweight and obesity in the racial and ethnic minorities when compared to whites. The responses to a self-administered survey conducted among the adult residents (n = 2,883) of the Detroit metropolitan area of Michigan were analyzed. Prevalence of overweight and obesity were 47.4 and 34.6 % respectively for the whole sample, while it was 39.9 and 43.6 % for whites, 42.3 and 47.8 % for blacks, 46.2 and 30.3 % for Chaldeans, and 52.2 and 28.5 % for Arabs. The odds for obesity was significantly lower in Arabs [odds ratio (OR) 0.31; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.13-0.72] and Chaldeans (OR 0.14; 95 % CI 0.06-0.33) when compared to whites. Chaldeans (OR 0.36; 95 % CI 0.15-0.86) had significantly decreased likelihood for being overweight compared to whites. Odds for obesity and overweight can vary in the different ethnic minorities within whites. Sharing similar living conditions decreases the differences in the odds for overweight and obesity between whites and blacks. Taking into consideration the racial and ethnic differences of the target population may help in developing better programs for fighting overweight and obesity.
authors.affiliation: Division of Occupational and Environmental Health, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA, hjamil@med.wayne.edu.
authors.forename: Hikmet J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jamil
authors.forename: Ambili Kariaparambil
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Rajan
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grzybowski
authors.forename: Monty
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fakhouri
authors.forename: Bengt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Arnetz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000367:Age Factors; D018912:Arabs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology; D050177:Overweight / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data