title: Geography, Race/Ethnicity, and Obesity Among Men in the United States.
abstract: The prevalence of obesity in the United States has increased significantly and is a particular concern for minority men. Studies focused at the community and national levels have reported that geography can play a substantial role in contributing to obesity, but little is known about how regional influences contribute to obesity among men. The objective of this study is to examine the association between geographic region and obesity among men in the United States and to determine if there are racial/ethnic differences in obesity within these geographic regions. Data from men, aged 18 years and older, from the National Health Interview Survey were combined for the years 2000 to 2010. Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m(2) Logistic regression models were specified to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between geographic region and obesity and for race and obesity within geographic regions. Compared to men living in the Northeast, men living in the Midwest had significantly greater odds of being obese (OR = 1.09, 95% CI [1.02, 1.17]), and men living in the West had lower odds of being obese (OR = 0.82, 95% CI [0.76, 0.89]). Racial/ethnic differences were also observed within geographic region. Black men have greater odds of obesity than White men in the South, West, and Midwest. In the South and West, Hispanic men also have greater odds of obesity than White men. In all regions, Asian men have lower odds of obesity than White men.
authors.affiliation: Program for Research on Men's Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA ekelle15@jhu.edu.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Kelley
authors.affiliation: Program for Research on Men's Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Janice V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Bowie
authors.affiliation: Institute for Research on Men's Health, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Derek M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Griffith
authors.affiliation: Center for Health of Minority Males, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA Jackson State University, Jackson, MS, USA.
authors.forename: Marino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.affiliation: Program for Research on Men's Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.affiliation: Program for Research on Men's Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Roland J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Thorpe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity; D005843:Geography; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D064890:Social Determinants of Health; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: health care issues; health inequality/disparity; psychosocial and cultural issues; social determinants of health