Selected factors contributing to disparities in overweight among White, Black, and Mexican-American female adolescents

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate a continuing increase in overweight among adolescents. This increase in the incidence of overweight has consistently been greatest among Black female adolescents. Research suggests that overweight, beginning in adolescence, greatly increases the risk of chronic diseases and contributes significantly to low productivity and escalating health care costs. Adult diseases of obesity are increasingly being seen in overweight adolescents.; Previous studies have suggested that socioeconomic status and genetics play significant roles in overweight. However, many more researchers have demonstrated the extensive contribution of environmental influences to overweight in adolescents. In this study comparisons were made of dietary intake and nutritional biochemical measures, participation in school meals program, physical activity, television viewing, use of health care services, and weight control methods among overweight Whites, Blacks, and Mexican Americans.; Data from the 1999--2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were utilized. Subjects were non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Mexican-American overweight female adolescents aged 12 to 19 years. Analyses were conducted using SUDAAN (release 9.0).; Results indicated that overweight is more prevalent among Mexican Americans and Blacks. Most subjects from all three ethnic groups used health care services. Few subjects from any group tried to lose weight. More overweight Blacks than Mexican Americans and Whites participated in school meals programs. Overweight Blacks had significantly higher carbohydrate intake than overweight Mexican Americans, were less physically active, and watched more TV than their overweight counterparts. Conversely, overweight Blacks had higher HLD-cholesterol levels and lower LDL-cholesterol and significantly lower triglyceride levels than overweight Whites and Mexican Americans.; Further research using larger sample sizes, need to be conducted. A prospective observational study to investigate differences in risk factors for overweight among ethnic groups is recommended. Standards for improvements to school health programs have been proposed.