title: Prevalence of and risk factors for adolescent obesity in Southern Appalachia, 2012.
abstract: The objective of this study was to examine weight status among southern Appalachian adolescents and to identify risk factors for obesity. We analyzed baseline data from the Team Up for Healthy Living study in 2012. Overall, 19.8% of the sample was overweight, and 26.6% was obese. Boys had higher rates of overweight/obesity than girls (50.5% vs 42.3%). Being male (odds ratio [OR] = 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39-2.29), having a mother with a high school education or less (OR = 1.39; 95% CI, 1.05-1.83), or having a father with a high school education or less (OR = 1.57; 95% CI, 1.17-2.09) was associated with a higher prevalence of obesity and a higher body mass index z score (β = 0.131, 0.160, and 0.043, respectively, P < .05). Parental education could be used to identify adolescents with a higher likelihood of obesity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, East Tennessee State University, PO Box 70259, Johnson City, TN 37614. E-mail: wangl2@etsu.edu.
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Slawson
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Relyea
authors.affiliation: College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee.
authors.forename: Jodi L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Southerland
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, Buffalo, New York.
authors.forename: Youfa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001061:Appalachian Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004522:Educational Status; D005220:Fathers / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016017:Odds Ratio; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013714:Tennessee / Q000453:epidemiology