Obesity and understudied minority children: existing challenges and opportunities in epidemiology

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Zerleen S. Quader, Emory University; Julie A Gazmararian, Emory University; Lauren McCullough, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2019-04-10
• Publisher: BMC (part of Springer Nature)
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2019 The Author(s).
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12887-019-1484-9
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: BMC Pediatrics
• ISSN: 1471-2431
• Volume: 19
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 103
• End Page: 103
• Grant/Funding Information: Funding was provided by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (Grant No. T32HL130025).
• Keywords: Race-ethnicity; Children; BMI; WAIST CIRCUMFERENCE; Adolescents; Pediatrics; ASIAN-AMERICANS; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; TO-HEIGHT RATIO; CARDIOMETABOLIC RISK; Science & Technology; Obesity; AFRICAN-AMERICAN; WEIGHT
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Epidemiology; Sociology, Public and Social Welfare

Abstract

Background: Obesity is a major public health concern in the United States and should be addressed as early as possible, in childhood. Disparities exist in obesity prevalence and its associated comorbidities by racial/ethnic group, however less is known about the smaller racial/ethnic subclasses that are often aggregated and assumed to be homogeneously at risk. As the racial and ethnic composition of the US shifts towards greater diversity, it is important that epidemiologic research addresses these new challenges. Main body: In this short communication, we focus on Asian American children given that subgroups are historically understudied and emerging evidence among adults suggest heterogeneous associations for both obesity and cardio-metabolic outcomes. Existing limitations in this research area include: (1) identifying the appropriate measurement of adiposity in Asian American children; (2) determining high-risk cutoffs for intervention; and (3) developing strategies to ensure study robustness. Conclusion: Data disaggregation is a necessary approach to understand potentially heterogeneous associations in childhood obesity and cardio-metabolic risk, but epidemiologic investigators must address these challenges. Ultimately, successful strategies could help better identify high risk subgroups, target interventions, and effectively reduce the burden of obesity among American youth.