Abdominal adiposity and family income-to-poverty ratio in American women.
OBJECTIVE
We examined (a) secular changes in abdominal fat accumulation (AFA) and family income-to-poverty ratio (PIR) across race/ethnicity, education and age in Mexican (MA), non-Hispanic Whites (NHW), non-Hispanic Black (NHB), and (b) association between PIR and AFA among American women.


METHODS
Data (n = 9787) from 2001-2002 to 2009-2010 NHANES were used. Rates of AFA and poverty by race/ethnic, age and education categories were determined across study time points. Subjects with low and medium PIR values were classified as poor. Linear trends in AFA and PIR were evaluated. Study time-specific odds ratios (OR) from logistic regression models were used to estimate risk of AFA due to low to medium PIR. Statistical adjustments were made for race/ethnicity, education, age, and marital status.


RESULTS
Increased trends in low to medium PIR and AFA in MA, NHW, and NHB American women were observed between 2001 and 2010. Poor women had much higher prevalence of AFA compared to richer women. For each of the studied periods, medium and low PIR were each associated with increased odds of AFA. The association between poverty and AFA was weakest in 2001-2002 (OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.05-2.11) compared to 2009-2010 (OR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.21-2.22). Compared to NHW, being of MA and NHB race/ethnicity was also each associated with increased odds of AFA, controlling for other independent variables.


CONCLUSIONS
Increase in poverty and AFA, and positive association between decreased PIR and increased odds of AFA were observed in the period between 2001 and 2010 in MA, NHW, and NHB American women. A robust economic policy designed to alleviate poverty may be an important means of reducing the trajectory of AFA in American women.
Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, United States. Electronic address:iokosun@gsu.edu.
Ike S
IS
Okosun
Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, United States.
Francis B
FB
Annor
Department of Family Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, GA 31210, United States.
J Paul
JP
Seale
Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, United States.
Michael P
MP
Eriksen
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008019:Life Style / Q000208:ethnology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D017058:Mexican Americans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011050:Policy Making; D011203:Poverty / Q000208:ethnology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People