title: Impacts of Long-Term Obesity on the Health Status of Samoan and Tongan Men in the United States: Results from the Pacific Islander Health Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the impacts of long-standing obesity (BMIs ≥ 30.0 kg/m(2)) on health outcomes among Samoan and Tongan men (aged ≥ 18 years) in California using a life course perspective.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional analysis of 103 males from the Pacific Islander Health Study (PIHS), a probability sample modeled after the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Urban residential neighborhoods in San Mateo and Los Angeles counties using a multistage, cluster sample design.
  
  
  METHODS
  BMI, diabetes, hypertension, total cholesterol, smoking, drinking, arthritis, gout and migraines.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bivariate analysis shows high rates of poor health outcomes distributed throughout the obese and non-obese sample. Logistic analysis finds that being obese does not significantly increase observed negative health outcomes. After controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, the presence of obesity results in non-significant findings for hypertension (OR=1.02; CI: .21, 4.91), and high cholesterol (OR=.52; CI: .10, 2.73), while obesity significantly reduces the risk of diabetes by 60% (OR=.40; CI: .14, 1.17). When applying disease counts, obese men have a significantly lower risk of reporting multiple health conditions (OR=.72; CI: .52, 1.00).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, the health of Samoan and Tongan males in California is uniformly poor and obesity alone does not significantly increase risks of poor health outcomes. Using a life course perspective, the analysis offers new insights on the basic health of this understudied population.
authors.affiliation: 1. Research Center on Group Dynamics at Institute for Social Research of the University of Michigan.
authors.forename: Sela V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Panapasa
authors.affiliation: 2. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research at Institute for Social Research of the University of Michigan.
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: McNally
authors.affiliation: 3. Survey Research Center at Institute for Social Research of the University of Michigan.
authors.forename: Steven G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Heeringa
authors.affiliation: 4. Harvard School of Public Health at Harvard University.
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054526:Men's Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D044468:Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Chronic Disease; Life Course; Men’s Health; Obesity; Pacific Islander; Samoan; Tongan; Vulnerable Population