Black New Yorkers with Type 2 Diabetes: Afro-Caribbean Immigrants Have Lower BMI and Lower Waist Circumference than African Americans.

OBJECTIVE: Using the 2013/2014 New York City (NYC) Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NYCHANES) data, this exploratory study examined whether (a) type 2 diabetes (diabetes) prevalence differed between NYC Afro-Caribbeans and African Americans; (b) anthropometric, biochemical, and sociodemographic diabetes profiles differed between and within groups; and (c) diabetes odds differed between and within groups. METHODS: Diabetes was defined as prior diagnosis, HbA1c ≥ 6.5% (7.8 mmol/L), or fasting glucose ≥ 126 mg/dL. Weighted logistic regression estimated diabetes odds by nativity and either waist circumference (WC) (cm) or BMI (kg/m2). All regression models controlled for age, hypertension, gender, education, income, marital status, physical activity, and smoking. RESULTS: Among Afro-Caribbeans (n = 81, 65% female, age (mean ± SE) 49 ± 2 years, BMI 29.2 ± 0.7 kg/m2) and African Americans (n = 118, 50% female, age 47 ± 2 years, BMI 30.3 ± 0.9 kg/m2), Afro-Caribbeans with diabetes had lower BMI (29.9 ± 0.8 kg/m2 vs. 34.6 ± 1.7 kg/m2, P = 0.01) and lower WC (102 ± 2 cm vs. 114 ± 3 cm, P = 0.002) than African Americans with diabetes. Afro-Caribbeans with diabetes had lower prevalence of obesity (33.2% vs. 74.7%) and higher prevalence of overweight (57.2% vs. 13.5%) (P = 0.02) than African Americans with diabetes. Odds of diabetes did not differ between Afro-Caribbeans and African Americans. In models predicting the effect of WC, diabetes odds increased with WC (OR = 1.07 (95% CI 1.02, 1.11), P = 0.003) and age (OR = 1.09 (95% CI 1.03-1.15), P = 0.003) for African Americans only. In models predicting the effect of BMI, diabetes odds increased for Afro-Caribbeans with age (OR = 1.06 (1.01, 1.11)*, P = 0.04) and hypertension (OR = 5.62 (95% CI 1.04, 30.42), P = 0.045), whereas for African Americans, only age predicted higher diabetes odds (OR = 1.08 (95% CI 1.03, 1.14), P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: In NYC, Afro-Caribbeans with diabetes have lower BMI and lower WC than African Americans with diabetes, but odds of diabetes do not differ. Combining African-descent populations into one group obscures clinical differences and generalizes diabetes risk.

Determination of Child Waist Circumference Cut Points for Metabolic Risk Based on Acanthosis Nigricans, the Children's Healthy Living Program.

INTRODUCTION: Waist circumference is a common anthropometric measure for predicting abdominal obesity and insulin resistance. We developed optimal waist circumference cut points for children aged 2 to 8 years in the US-Affiliated Pacific (USAP) region based on the relationship of waist circumference and acanthosis nigricans in this population. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis from the Children's Healthy Living Program's 2012-2013 data on 4,023 children. We used receiver-operating characteristic analysis to determine the sensitivity and specificity for acanthosis nigricans across waist circumference, by sex and age. We determined optimal waist circumference cutoff points corresponding to Youden index (J), (equal to [sensitivity + specificity] - 1), with acanthosis nigricans. We compared these cut points with the 90th percentile. RESULTS: The 90th-percentile cut points for boys aged 2 to 5 years (58.15 cm) and 6 to 8 years (71.63 cm) were slightly higher than for girls in both age groups (aged 2-5 y, 57.97 cm; 6-8 y: 70.37 cm). The optimal cut points (corresponding to the highest sensitivity and specificity) were as follows: for boys aged 2 to 5 years, 90th percentile (58.25 cm; sensitivity, 48.0%; specificity, 91.5%); for boys aged 6 to 8 years, 78th percentile (63.59 cm; sensitivity, 86.8%; specificity, 82.8%); for girls aged 2 to 5 years, 62nd percentile (53.27 cm; sensitivity, 71.4%; specificity, 63.1%), and for girls aged 6 to 8 years, 80th percentile (63.63 cm; sensitivity, 55.4%; specificity, 82.9%). CONCLUSION: Among USAP children, waist circumference was a reasonable predictor for acanthosis nigricans. Further analysis is warranted to examine causes of acanthosis nigricans at lower-than-expected waist circumference percentiles. The cut points can be used for early detection of metabolic risk.

Association of "hypertriglyceridemic waist" with increased 5-year risk of subclinical atherosclerosis in a multi-ethnic population: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Hypertriglyceridemic waist (HTGW), which incorporates measures of waist circumference and levels of triglyceride in blood, could act as an early-stage predictor to identify the individuals at high-risk for subclinical atherosclerosis. Previous studies have explored the cross-sectional association between HTGW and atherosclerosis; however, understanding how this association might change over time is necessary. This study will assess the association between HTGW with 5-year subclinical carotid atherosclerosis. METHODS: 517 participants of Aboriginal, Chinese, European, and South Asian ethnicities were examined for baseline HTGW and 5-year indices of subclinical atherosclerosis (intima media thickness (mm), total area (mm2), and plaque presence). Family history of cardiovascular disease, sociodemographic measures (age, sex, ethnicity, income level, maximum education), and traditional risk factors (systolic blood pressure, smoking status, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, body mass index) were incorporated into the models of association. These models used multiple linear regression and logistic regression. RESULTS: Baseline HTGW phenotype is a statistically significant and clinically meaningful predictor of 5-year intima media thickness (ß = 0.08 [0.04, 0.11], p < 0.001), total area (ß = 0.20 [0.07, 0.33], p = 0.002), and plaque presence (OR = 2.17 [1.13, 4.19], p = 0.02) compared to the non-HTGW group independent of sociodemographic factors and family history. However, this association is no longer significant after adjusting for the traditional risk factors of atherosclerosis (p = 0.27, p = 0.45, p = 0.66, respectively). Moreover, change in status of HTGW phenotype does not correlate with change in indices of atherosclerosis over 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that when the traditional risk factors of atherosclerosis are known, HTGW may not offer additional value as a predictor of subclinical atherosclerosis progression over 5 years.

Chinese Adults Are More Susceptible to Effects of Overall Obesity and Fat Distribution on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors.

CONTEXT: The body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) as diagnostic tools of obesity do not reflect the same level of fat mass and whether obesity leads to various effects on cardiometabolic risk factors among different racial/ethnic population is unknown. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to address the multicollinearity between BMI and WC by using the residual model approach and to assess and compare the effects of obesity metrics on cardiometabolic risk factors among different races/ethnicities. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Data from a nationally representative sample of mainland Chinese adults collected in 2010 and data from the National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey 2005-2016 were used. By conducting a regression analysis between WC and BMI, the variation of BMI was removed from WC measures and residual of WC was obtained. The associations between obesity metrics and cardiometabolic risk factors were compared among different races/ethnicities by sex. RESULTS: The residual WC was significantly associated with all the cardiometabolic risk factors in mainland Chinese, and most of the factors in non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black adults, but not in the other races/ethnicities. The standardized regression coefficients of the associations between obesity metrics and cardiometabolic factors showed that the obesity metrics had greater impact on systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and triglyceride in Chinese adults than those of other racial/ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Chinese adults are more susceptible to the effects of overall obesity and fat distribution on cardiometabolic risk factors than the other racial/ethnic population.

Beyond Asian-Specific Cutoffs: Gender Effects on the Predictability of Body Mass Index, Waist Circumference, and Waist Circumference to Height Ratio on Hemoglobin A1c.

OBJECTIVES: This study examines the gender effect on the associations between body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist circumference to height ratio (WHtR) with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) when Asian-specific cutoffs are applied among Asians living in the USA. DESIGN: This study used the pooled 2013-2014 and 2015-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data to produce a sample of 900 Asians who were non-pregnant and non-Hispanic aged 20-65. Bivariate and general linear regression analyses were conducted based on gender and age group. RESULTS: The group variations of BMI, WC, and WHtR all exhibited different patterns between males and females. Among the bivariate correlations with HbA1c, WHtR was the strongest in males and WC was the strongest in females. All three measures performed better in predicting HbA1c among younger Asians. WC predicted more of the variance in HbA1c among females, whereas WHtR predicted more of the variance in HbA1c among males. CONCLUSIONS: WC and WHtR are two anthropometric measures that serve as appropriate proxy of HbA1c for gauging the risk of developing type 2 diabetes among Asians living in the USA. They can be easily performed at non-clinical settings and should be used by individuals to monitor their health and be a part of disease prevention.

Decomposing Race and Ethnic Differences in CVD Risk Factors for Mid-life Women.

OBJECTIVE: This study decomposes race and ethnic differences in hypertension, waist circumference, obesity and allostatic load between black non-Hispanic (BNH), Mexican American (MA), and white non-Hispanic (WNH) women. DATA: This study uses 10,109 observations from The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from years 1999-2014 for BNH, MA women, and WNH between 40 and 75 years old. METHODOLOGY: We used the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition to explore how demographic, socioeconomic, healthcare access, and health behavior factors are associated with race and ethnic differences in blood pressure, waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), and allostatic load score (ALS). RESULTS: We found that demographic factors, socioeconomic status, healthcare access, and health behaviors explained from 0 to 50% of the difference in CVD risk factors between BNH and WNH. However, these factors explain from 39 to 100% of the difference in CVD risk factors between MA and WNH. Differences in demographic, socioeconomic, access to care, and health behavior factor variables explained very little of the differences in CVD risk factors between NHB and MA women. CONCLUSION: The impact of the determinants on CVD risk factors varies by race and ethnicity. Efforts to address differences in CVD risk factors should promote health equity programs and acknowledge that even race and ethnic groups that have similar demographic, SES, access to care, and health behavior factors can have different outcomes.

New proposed cut-off of waist circumference for central obesity as risk factor for diabetes mellitus: Evidence from the Indonesian Basic National Health Survey.

BACKGROUND: Waist circumference (WC) measurement is practical to define central obesity. However, WC cut-off point might be differ based on different race or ethnicity. This study aims to analyze the optimal WC cut-off point to identify T2DM risk among Indonesian population. METHOD: We analyzed the secondary data of national based cross-sectional study of the Indonesian Basic National Health Research 2013, comprising 24,660 adults aged ≥ 18 years who were assessed for fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). The new proposed cut-off point for WC was calculated using ROC curve analysis and Youden index. The odds ratio of having T2DM was calculated using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Increased WC was associated with worsening dysglycemia status among men and women (p<0.001). The optimal cut-off point of WC for detecting T2DM from ROC analysis was 76 for men and 80 for women. Based on this WC cut-off point, the odds ratio for having T2DM was 1.64 [95% CI 1.45-1.86, p<0.01] for men and 1.90 [95% CI 1.71-2.11 p<0.01] for women. CONCLUSION: The newly proposed WC cut-off point of 76 for men and 80 women can be used to screen the risk of T2DM among Indonesian population.

Adiposity and Leukocyte Telomere Length in US Adults by Sex-Specific Race/Ethnicity: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Objective: Little is known about the relationship between adiposity and telomere length in the United States population. The objective of our research was to examine this relationship in a representative, socioeconomically and sex-specific, diverse racial/ethnic population in the United States. Methods: Body mass index (BMI), % total body fat (TBF) and waist circumference (WC) with leukocyte telomere length (LTL) were examined according to sex-specific race/ethnicity using separate adjusted multivariate linear regressions on a sample of 4,919 respondents aged 20-84 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey's 1999-2002 data. Results: LTL was shortened .41%, .44%, and .16% in African American (AA) women and was associated with increasing BMI, %TBF, and WC, (ß:-.0041, 95%CI: -.0070, -.0012; P=.007; ß:-.0044, 95% CI: -.0081, -.0007; P=.02; ß:-.0016, 95%CI: -.0031, -.0001; P=.04, respectively). LTL was shortened .29% in White women and was associated with increasing %TBF (ß:-.0029, 95%CI: -.0048, -.0009; P=.006). There were no associations among AA men, White men or Mexican American men and women. Conclusions: LTL is associated with an obesity phenotype in AA women. Tailored intervention is needed to ameliorate the burden of excess adiposity and subsequent cellular aging.

Association between sleep duration and differences between weekday and weekend sleep with body mass index & waist circumference among Black women in Sistertalk II.

OBJECTIVES: Examine associations between sleep duration and differences between weekday and weekend sleep with body mass index and waist circumference in a sample of high-risk Black women from the SisterTalk II study. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from an intervention study targeting dietary and physical activity behaviors. SETTING: Women were recruited from the Providence, RI, USA, area. PARTICIPANTS: The sample includes 569 middle-aged Black women who were hypertensive or at risk for hypertension. MEASUREMENTS: Participants self-reported their weekday and weekend sleep duration. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were objectively measured. Associations between the sleep and anthropometric measures were examined using analysis of variance and multivariable regression models controlling for birthplace, educational attainment, employment status, and annual household income. RESULTS: 25.5% of the sample were very short sleepers (≤6 hrs), 28.8% short sleepers (≥6 to <7 hrs), 40.4% recommended sleepers (≥7 to ≤9 hrs), and 5.3% long sleepers (>9 hrs); 70.7% had a consistent sleep duration (≤2-hour difference between weekday and weekend sleep duration), 21.6% were classified as "weekend snoozers" (>2-hours more sleep on weekends), and 7.7% were classified as "weekend warriors" (>2-hours less sleep on weekends). Compared to recommended sleepers, very short sleepers and long sleepers had significantly greater BMIs, while long sleepers had significantly larger WCs. Being a weekend snoozer was also associated with increased BMI and WC. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample of high-risk Black women, sleep duration and differences between weekday and weekend sleep were independently associated with excess weight and abdominal obesity.

Model of genetic and environmental factors associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a Chinese Han population.

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder which accounts for high morbidity and mortality due to complications like renal failure, amputations, cardiovascular disease, and cerebrovascular events. METHODS: We collected medical reports, lifestyle details, and blood samples of individuals and used the polymerase chain reaction-ligase detection reaction method to genotype the SNPs, and a visit was conducted in August 2016 to obtain the incidence of Type 2 diabetes in the 2113 eligible people. To explore which genes and environmental factors are associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a Chinese Han population, we used elastic net to build a model, which is to explain which variables are strongly associated with T2DM, rather than predict the occurrence of T2DM. RESULT: The genotype of the additive of rs964184, together with the history of hypertension, regular intake of meat and waist circumference, increased the risk of T2DM (adjusted OR = 2.38, p = 0.042; adjusted OR = 3.31, p < 0.001; adjusted OR = 1.05, p < 0.001). The TT genotype of the additive and recessive models of rs12654264, the CC genotype of the additive and dominant models of rs2065412, the TT genotype of the additive and dominant models of rs4149336, together with the degree of education, regular exercise, reduced the risk of T2DM (adjusted OR = 0.46, p = 0.017; adjusted OR = 0.53, p = 0.021; adjusted OR = 0.59, p = 0.021; adjusted OR = 0.57, p = 0.01; adjusted OR = 0.59, p = 0.021; adjusted OR = 0.57, p = 0.01; adjusted OR = 0.50, p = 0.007; adjusted OR = 0.80, p = 0.032) . CONCLUSION: Eventually we identified a set of SNPs and environmental factors: rs5805 in the SLC12A3, rs12654264 in the HMGCR, rs2065412 and rs414936 in the ABCA1, rs96418 in the ZPR1 gene, waistline, degree of education, exercise frequency, hypertension, and the intake of meat. Although there was no interaction between these variables, people with two risk factors had a higher risk of T2DM than those only having one factor. These results provide the theoretical basis for gene and other risk factors screening to prevent T2DM.

Diagnosing metabolic syndrome in a multi-ethnic country: is an ethnic-specific cut-off point of waist circumference needed?

The definition of Metabolic Syndrome (MS) required an ethnic-specific cut-off point for waist circumference (WC). We aim to assess the optimal ethnic-specific WC cut-off point for MS in Indonesia, a multi-ethnic country. Three population-based studies in Indonesia were included for analysis [Flores (n = 1227, Floresian), Depok (n = 904, Sundanese), and Jakarta (n = 1574, Javanese)]. All subjects were 25-65 years old. The receiver operator characteristic curve analysis and Youden index method was used to determine the optimal cut-offs of WC to predict two or more risk factors of MS. In Flores, the cut-offs were 80 cm (Sensitivity and Specificity, AUC, 84% and 73%, 0.86) and 77 cm (86% and 68%, 0.85), for men and women, respectively. While in Depok, the values were 87 cm (87% and 67%, 0.85) and 79 cm (94% and 54%, 0.79), for men and women, respectively. While in Jakarta, the values were 83 cm (92% and 60%, 0.85) and 81 cm (84% and 60%, 0.77), for men and women, respectively. The optimal WC cut-off values for MS were different in those three ethnicities, and in general were lower than the currently used cut-off points for Asian population.

Anthropometric Characteristics of Tunisian Population in Comparison to the World.

BACKGROUND: Anthropometry is the one and only universally applicable, inexpensive and non-invasive method for studying the proportions of the human body. Anthropometric measurements reflect nutritional status and health, but can also be used to predict skills, health status and survival. It is therefore a reliable tool, but currently underused, to guide public health policies. AIM: Therefore, this study investigated anthropometric characters of Tunisian people and compared it with those of other nationalities. METHODS: 429 subjects have participated in this study (322 men and 107 women), aged between 20 and 85. Anthropometric measurements used in this study were body mass, body size, thigh circumference, lower limbs length and body mass index. RESULTS: With an average body size of 171 cm for men and 157 cm for women, Tunisians were close to neighboring countries. Nevertheless, with a body mass of 77.23 kg and 72.66 kg and a BMI of 26.48 and 29.18 respectively for men and women, Tunisia has the highest prevalence of obesity in the region, especially for women. Several anthropometric correlations have also been noticed such as relationships between thigh circumference, BMI, body mass, lower limbs length, and body size. CONCLUSION: Obesity is proving to be a public health problem for which effective strategies and measures are needed.

Applicability of Obesity-Related SNPs and their Effect Size Measures Defined on Populations with European Ancestry for Genetic Risk Estimation among Roma.

Investigations on the impact of genetic factors on the development of obesity have been limited regarding the Roma population-the largest and most vulnerable ethnic minority in Europe of Asian origin. Genetic variants identified from genetic association studies are primarily from European populations. With that in mind, we investigated the applicability of data on selected obesity-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), obtained from the Hungarian general (HG) population of European origin, on the Hungarian Roma (HR) population. Twenty preselected SNPs in susceptible alleles, known to be significantly associated with obesity-related phenotypes, were used to estimate the effect of these SNPs on body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in HG (N = 1783) and HR (N = 1225) populations. Single SNP associations were tested using linear and logistic regression models, adjusted for known covariates. Out of 20 SNPs, four located in FTO (rs1121980, rs1558902, rs9939609, and rs9941349) showed strong association with BMI and WC as continuous variables in both samples. Computations based on Adult Treatment Panel III (ATPIII) and the International Diabetes Federation's (IDF) European and Asian criteria showed rs9941349 in FTO to be associated only with WC among both populations, and two SNPs (rs2867125, rs6548238) in TMEM18 associated with WC only in HG population. A substantial difference (both in direction and effect size) was observed only in the case of rs1801282 in PPARγ on WC as a continuous outcome. Findings suggest that genetic risk scores based on counting SNPs with relatively high effect sizes, defined based on populations with European ancestry, can sufficiently allow estimation of genetic susceptibility for Roma. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of SNP(s) with protective effect(s).

Total Sitting Time and Sitting Pattern in Postmenopausal Women Differ by Hispanic Ethnicity and are Associated With Cardiometabolic Risk Biomarkers.

Background Sedentary behavior is pervasive, especially in older adults, and is associated with cardiometabolic disease and mortality. Relationships between cardiometabolic biomarkers and sitting time are unexplored in older women, as are possible ethnic differences. Methods and Results Ethnic differences in sitting behavior and associations with cardiometabolic risk were explored in overweight/obese postmenopausal women (n=518; mean±SD age 63±6 years; mean body mass index 31.4±4.8 kg/m2). Accelerometer data were processed using validated machine-learned algorithms to measure total daily sitting time and mean sitting bout duration (an indicator of sitting behavior pattern). Multivariable linear regression was used to compare sitting among Hispanic women (n=102) and non-Hispanic women (n=416) and tested associations with cardiometabolic risk biomarkers. Hispanic women sat, on average, 50.3 minutes less/day than non-Hispanic women (P<0.001) and had shorter (3.6 minutes less, P=0.02) mean sitting bout duration. Among all women, longer total sitting time was deleteriously associated with fasting insulin and triglyceride concentrations, insulin resistance, body mass index and waist circumference; longer mean sitting bout duration was deleteriously associated with fasting glucose and insulin concentrations, insulin resistance, body mass index and waist circumference. Exploratory interaction analysis showed that the association between mean sitting bout duration and fasting glucose concentration was significantly stronger among Hispanic women than non-Hispanic women (P-interaction=0.03). Conclusions Ethnic differences in 2 objectively measured parameters of sitting behavior, as well as detrimental associations between parameters and cardiometabolic biomarkers were observed in overweight/obese older women. The detrimental association between mean sitting bout duration and fasting glucose may be greater in Hispanic women than in non-Hispanic women. Corroboration in larger studies is warranted.

Disentangling Race, Poverty, and Place to Understand the Racial Disparity in Waist Circumference among Women.

In the U.S., 54.8% of non-Hispanic Black women are obese, a rate that is 1.4 times greater than in White women. The drivers of this racial disparity are not yet clearly understood. We sought to disentangle race, household poverty, neighborhood racial composition, and neighborhood poverty to better understand the racial disparity in obesity among women. We used data from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the 2000 U.S. Census to examine the role of individual race, individual poverty, neighborhood racial composition, and neighborhood poverty on women's risk of obesity. We found that individual race was the primary risk factor for obesity among women. Neighborhood effects did not account for the racial disparity. Understanding that race is a social, not a biologic construct, more work is needed to uncover what it is about race that produces racial disparities in obesity among women.

Volume and Intensity of Stepping Activity and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in a Multi-ethnic Asian Population.

The health benefits of objectively measured physical activity volume versus intensity have rarely been studied, particularly in non-western populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between cardiometabolic risk factors and stepping activity including; volume (step count), intensity (cadence) or inactivity (zero-steps/minute/day), in a multi-ethnic Asian population. Participants clinical data was collected at baseline and their physical activity was monitored for seven days, using an accelerometer (Actigraph GT3X+) in 2016. Tertiles (low, moderate, high) of the mean daily step count, peak one-minute, 30-min, 60-min cadences and time/day spent at zero-steps/minute were calculated. Adjusted linear regressions explored the association between stepping activity tertiles and cardiometabolic risk factors. A total of 635 participants (41% male, 67% Chinese, mean age 48.4 years) were included in the analyses. The mean daily step count was 7605 (median daily step count 7310) and 7.8 h of awake time per day were spent inactive (zero-steps/minute). A greater number of associations were found for step intensity than volume. Higher step intensity was associated with reduced body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressures and higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Future health promotion initiatives should consider the greater role of step intensity to reduce cardiometabolic risk.

Assessing different anthropometric indices and their optimal cutoffs for prediction of type 2 diabetes and impaired fasting glucose in Asians: The Jinchang Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: To study the association between anthropometric measurements and the risk of diabetes and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and compare body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) to determine the best indicator and its optimal cutoffs for predicting type 2 diabetes and IFG. METHODS: A Chinese prospective (2011-2019) cohort named the Jingchang cohort that included 48 001 participants was studied. Using Cox proportional hazard models, hazard ratios (HRs) for incident type 2 diabetes or IFG per 1 SD change in BMI, WC, and WHtR were calculated. Area under the curve (AUC) was compared to identify the best anthropometric variable and its optimal cutoff for predicting diabetes. RESULTS: The association of BMI, WC, and WHtR with type 2 diabetes or IFG risk was positive in the univariate and multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard models. Of all three indexes, the AUC of BMI was largest and that of WC was smallest. The derived cutoff values for BMI, WC, and WHtR were 24.6 kg/m2 , 89.5 cm, and 0.52 in men and 23.4 kg/m2 , 76.5 cm, and 0.47 in women for predicting diabetes, respectively. The derived cutoff values for BMI, WC, and WHtR were 23.4 kg/m2 , 87.5 cm, and 0.50 in men and 22.5 kg/m2 , 76.5 cm, and 0.47 in women for predicting IFG, respectively. [Correction added on 14 April 2020, after first online publication: '0' has been deleted from 'WC,0' in the first sentence.]. CONCLUSIONS: Our derived cutoff points were lower than the values specified in the most current Asian diabetes guidelines. We recommend a cutoff point for BMI in Asians of 23 kg/m2 and for WC a cutoff point of 89 cm in men and 77 cm in women to define high-risk groups for type 2 diabetes; screening should be considered for these populations.

Nativity, Neighborhoods, and Body Composition in the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Globally, obesity influences the risk of many major chronic diseases. Our study examines the association between individual nativity and neighborhood level concentration of immigrants with 10-year changes in weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (WC) among older Latinos. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging (SALSA) is a population-based prospective study of community-dwelling older adults of Mexican origin (baseline ages 58-101 years). The primary outcome was repeated measures of weight over a 10-year period for 1,628 respondents. Nativity was defined by participants' reported place of birth (US-born or Latin American foreign born). Neighborhood immigrant concentration was measured as the percentage of foreign born at census tract level (2000 US Census). We used linear mixed models with repeated measures of weight, height, BMI, and WC as dependent variables (level 1), clustered within individuals (level 2) and neighborhood migrant concentration (level 3). RESULTS: Foreign born (FB) respondents had lower baseline weight than the US-born (mean, 160 vs. 171 lbs, p < .0001). Over time, weight differences between the FB and the US-born decreased by 1.7 lbs/5 years as US-born weight decreased more rapidly. We observed a significant interaction between individual nativity and neighborhood immigrant concentration (p = .012). We found similar patterns for BMI, but did not find statistically significant differences in WC trajectories. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Our study observed significant differences by foreign born vs. US nativity in baseline weight/BMI and in their trajectories over time. Additionally, we found weight/BMI differences in neighborhood immigrant concentration for the FB, but not for the US-born.

Adult Health Status Among Native American Families Participating in the Growing Resilience Home Garden Study.

Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone tribes sharing the Wind River Indian Reservation (WRIR) in Wyoming reportedly die 30 years earlier than whites in the state. We analyzed data on the health status of 176 adults from 96 families who participated in a randomized controlled trial to assess health effects of home gardens. Measures of body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, vitamin D, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and household food security were collected from participating adults before the intervention. Results indicated that this group has considerably worse health status than average US adults and also fares worse than average American Indians/Alaska Natives. To help improve these disparities, Native Americans need access to appropriate and effective means of health promotion.

Short relative leg length is associated with overweight and obesity in Mexican immigrant women.

BACKGROUND: Prior research suggests that undernutrition and enteric infections predispose children to stunted growth. Undernutrition and infections have been associated with limited access to healthy diets, lack of sanitation, and access barriers to healthcare - all associated with human rights. Stunting has also been documented to be a major determinant of subsequent obesity and non-communicable diseases. Short leg length relative to stature during adulthood seems to be a good proxy indicator tracking such barriers, and has been reported to be associated with adverse health effects during adulthood. Our objective was to examine the association between relative leg length (as measured by the leg length index, LLI) and measures of adiposity - based on body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) - in a population of recent Mexican immigrant women to the New York City Area. METHODS: The analysis was based on a cross-sectional survey of 200 Mexican immigrant women aged 18 to 70 years, whose data were collected between April and November 2008; although for purposes of the current study we restricted the sample to those aged 18 to 59 years. The dependent variables were BMI and WC, both transformed into categorical variables. The main independent variable was LLI, and other correlates were controlled for (i.e. age, education, having had children, characteristics of the community of origin, acculturation, chronic conditions, sedentary behaviors, access to fresh fruits and vegetables). Two probit models were estimated: the first one analyzed the effect of LLI on BMI categories and the second one estimated the effect of LLI on WC. RESULTS: The probit assessing the effect of LLI on overweight/obesity suggested that having a short LLI increased the probability of overweight/obesity by 21 percentage points. Results from the probit model estimating the effect of LLI on WC indicated that having a short LLI increased the probability of having abdominal adiposity by 39 percentage points. Both results were statistically significant at p < 0.05. CONCLUSION: The study found an association between having shorter legs relative to one's height and increased risk of overweight/obesity and abdominal adiposity. Findings support the epidemiological evidence regarding the association between short leg length, early life socioeconomic conditions (i.e. limited access to basic rights), and increased risk of adverse health effects later in life.