Heterogeneity in Obesity Prevalence Among Asian American Adults.

BACKGROUND

Obesity increases the risk for metabolic and cardiovascular disease, and this risk occurs at lower body mass index (BMI) thresholds in Asian adults than in White adults. The degree to which obesity prevalence varies across heterogeneous Asian American subgroups is unclear because most obesity estimates combine all Asian Americans into a single group.

OBJECTIVE

To quantify obesity prevalence in Asian American subgroups among U.S. adults using both standard BMI categorizations and categorizations tailored to Asian populations.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

SETTING

United States, 2013 to 2020.

PARTICIPANTS

The analytic sample included 2 882 158 adults aged 18 years or older in the U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys (2013 to 2020). Participants self-identified as non-Hispanic White ([NHW] = 2 547 965); non-Hispanic Black ([NHB] = 263 136); or non-Hispanic Asian ([NHA] = 71 057), comprising Asian Indian ( = 13 916), Chinese ( = 11 686), Filipino ( = 11 815), Japanese ( = 12 473), Korean ( = 3634), and Vietnamese ( = 2618) Americans.

MEASUREMENTS

Obesity prevalence adjusted for age and sex calculated using both standard BMI thresholds (≥30 kg/m) and BMI thresholds modified for Asian adults (≥27.5 kg/m), based on self-reported height and weight.

RESULTS

Adjusted obesity prevalence (by standard categorization) was 11.7% (95% CI, 11.2% to 12.2%) in NHA, 39.7% (CI, 39.4% to 40.1%) in NHB, and 29.4% (CI, 29.3% to 29.5%) in NHW participants; the prevalence was 16.8% (CI, 15.2% to 18.5%) in Filipino, 15.3% (CI, 13.2% to 17.5%) in Japanese, 11.2% (CI, 10.2% to 12.2%) in Asian Indian, 8.5% (CI, 6.8% to 10.5%) in Korean, 6.5% (CI, 5.5% to 7.5%) in Chinese, and 6.3% (CI, 5.1% to 7.8%) in Vietnamese Americans. The prevalence using modified criteria (BMI ≥27.5 kg/m) was 22.4% (CI, 21.8% to 23.1%) in NHA participants overall and 28.7% (CI, 26.8% to 30.7%) in Filipino, 26.7% (CI, 24.1% to 29.5%) in Japanese, 22.4% (CI, 21.1% to 23.7%) in Asian Indian, 17.4% (CI, 15.2% to 19.8%) in Korean, 13.6% (CI, 11.7% to 15.9%) in Vietnamese, and 13.2% (CI, 12.0% to 14.5%) in Chinese Americans.

LIMITATION

Body mass index estimates rely on self-reported data.

CONCLUSION

Substantial heterogeneity in obesity prevalence exists among Asian American subgroups in the United States. Future studies and public health efforts should consider this heterogeneity.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.