Growth status and obesity of Hopi children

Risk and Resilience Factors in Urban American Indian and Alaska Native Youth during the Coronavirus Pandemic

American Indians and Alaska Natives suffer disproportionately from poverty and other inequities and are vulnerable to adverse health and socioeconomic effects of COVID-19. Using surveys and interviews (May - July 2020), we examined urban American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents' (N=50) health and behaviors, family dynamics, community cohesion, and traditional practice participation during COVID-19. About 20% of teens reported clinically significant anxiety and depression, 25% reported food insecurity, and 40% reported poor sleep. Teens also reported high family and community cohesion, and many engaged in traditional practices during this time. Although many teens reported problems, they also emphasized resilience strategies.

Assessment of Body Mass Index, Sugar Sweetened Beverage Intake and Time Spent in Physical Activity of American Indian Children in Oklahoma

American Indian (AI) children have a combined overweight and obesity prevalence of 53%. Behaviors that contribute to obesity, such as sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) intake and time spent in physical activity (PA), have been poorly explored in this population. The purpose of this study is to report body mass index (BMI), SSB intake, and time spent in PA of 7-to-13-year-old AI children who reside in rural and urban areas in Oklahoma. Cross-sectional survey study. Self-reported SSB intake in the last month, and time spent in PA were collected via questionnaires. Height and weight were professionally measured. The sample included 124 7-to-13-year-old AI children who attended a diabetes prevention summer camp in 2013. BMI percentile, overweight and obesity prevalence, SSB intake, time spent in PA, and number of participants meeting the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Descriptive characteristics for BMI percentile, overweight and obesity, SSB intake, time spent in PA, and meeting PA recommendations were calculated using means, standard deviations, and frequencies. Independent t test and Chi square analyses were used to test for gender differences. Participants were 10.2 ± 1.5 years old and 57% female. Sixty-three percent were overweight or obese. Children consumed 309 ± 309 kcal/day of SSB and spent 4.4 ± 3.8 h per week in moderate-to-vigorous PA. Approximately 32% met the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. No gender differences were observed. The prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher than previously reported in a similar population, and higher than that of US children in the general population. SSB intake and physical activity levels were also found to be higher in this group than in the general population.

Dietary patterns of Akwesasne Mohawk adolescents

BACKGROUND

Native American youth have greater rates of overweight/obesity than same-aged youth from the general population. Even though dietary shifts are suspected, surprisingly little information exists concerning the dietary patterns of contemporary Native American adolescents.

AIM

This study examines the dietary composition of Native American adolescents residing in upstate New York at the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation. The goal of this investigation is to assess the food patterns of Akwesasne adolescents via a total diet approach. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING AND METHODS: The sample is comprised of 246 Mohawk adolescents between the ages of 10-16.9 years of age residing at the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation. Food frequency data was collected from adolescents via interview during a cross-sectional study investigating their exposure to environmental pollutants.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Nutrient-dilute but energy-dense foods characterize most of the top 10 dietary sources of energy, carbohydrates, and fat. Although micronutrient intakes are by and large adequate in the sample, micronutrients are most often derived from highly fortified food sources. Adolescent diets contain few naturally-occurring sources of many micronutrients, especially folate and iron. A narrow variety of foods dominate the top dietary sources across both macronutrient and micronutrients, strongly suggesting the need for increased dietary diversity within this age group.

Correlates of overweight and obesity among American Indian/Alaska Native and Non-Hispanic White children and adolescents: National Survey of Children's Health, 2007

Risk factors for overweight and obesity may be different for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children compared to children of other racial/ethnic backgrounds, as obesity prevalence among AI/AN children remains much higher. Using data from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, behavioral (child's sport team participation, vigorous physical activity, television viewing, and computer use), household (parental physical activity, frequency of family meals, rules limiting television viewing, and television in the child's bedroom), neighborhood (neighborhood support, perceived community and school safety, and presence of parks, sidewalks, and recreation centers in the neighborhood), and sociodemographic (child's age and sex, household structure, and poverty status) correlates of overweight/obesity (body mass index ≥85th percentile for age and sex) were assessed among 10-17 year-old non-Hispanic white (NHW) and AI/AN children residing in Alaska, Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and South Dakota (n = 5,372). Prevalence of overweight/obesity was 29.0 % among NHW children and 48.3 % among AI/AN children in this sample. Viewing more than 2 h of television per day (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.0; 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.5-2.8), a lack of neighborhood support (aOR = 1.9; 95 % CI = 1.1-3.5), and demographic characteristics were significantly associated with overweight/obesity in the pooled sample. Lack of sport team participation was significantly associated with overweight/obesity only among AI/AN children (aOR = 2.7; 95 % CI = 1.3-5.2). Culturally sensitive interventions targeting individual predictors, such as sports team participation and television viewing, in conjunction with neighborhood-level factors, may be effective in addressing childhood overweight/obesity among AI/AN children. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Overweight and obesity among North American Indian infants, children, and youth

The frequency of overweight and obesity among North American Indian children and youth exceeds that of other ethnic groups in the United States. This observation is based on studies using body mass index as the primary measure of overweight and obesity. In the mid-20th century, there were regional differences among North American Indian groups in sub-adults' size and shape and only a few Southwestern groups were characterized by high rates of overweight and obesity. In most populations, the high prevalence of overweight and obesity developed in the last decades of the 20th century. Childhood obesity may begin early in life as many studies report higher birth weights and greater weight-for-height in the preschool years. Contributing factors include higher maternal weights, a nutritional transition from locally caught or raised foods to store bought items, psychosocial stress associated with threats to cultural identity and national sovereignty, and exposure to obesogenic pollutants, all associated to some degree with poverty. Obesity is part of the profile of poor health among Native Americans in the US and Canada, and contributes to woefully high rates of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and early mortality. Interventions that are culturally appropriate are needed to reduce weights at all points in the lifespan.

Nutritional vulnerability in Mbyá-Guaraní adolescents and adults from Misiones, Argentina

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status and body composition in Mbyá-Guaraní adolescents and adults from three communities in the Province of Misiones, in northern Argentina.

METHODS

Anthropometric parameters were analyzed in 45 individuals (aged 14-60). Data were transformed to z-scores using NHANES I and II.

RESULTS

Ninety-three percent of the sample showed some kind of malnutrition (undernutrition and/or excess of weight). Stunting and overweight reached the highest prevalences (85.0 and 10.0%, respectively). The most Mbyá people were found to have low arm muscle and fat areas. They also tended to have shorter than normal lower limbs. Centralized obesity was evident in both sexes and in all the age intervals.

CONCLUSIONS

Extreme poverty, together with changes in life habits and diet composition, resulted in decrease of body size and changes in body proportions and composition. Although these changes could be considered as an adaptive response to the chronic exposure of these populations to adverse environmental conditions, they would favor the co-occurrence of malnutrition and overweight in a single scenario, and consequently increase the risk of infectious and nontransmissible diseases.

Variability in childhood asthma and body mass index across Northern Plains American Indian communities

OBJECTIVE

There are sparse data on the variability in childhood asthma across different Native American communities and the corresponding associations with known risk factors such as high body mass index and family history. The purpose of this study is to evaluate cross-sectional data on childhood asthma prevalence, body mass index, and other descriptive variables among Native Americans in five rural Northern Plains Indian reservation communities.

METHODS

A school-based screening program was conducted on four Northern Plains Indian Reservations. The 1852 children (96% Native American, 4th through 12th grades) were screened for asthma status, body mass index (BMI), and family history.

RESULTS

Approximately 9.5% of students reported current asthma. Current asthma varied significantly across the four reservation sites, ranging from 5.7% to 12.6%. Current asthma was also positively associated with BMI and family history of asthma.

CONCLUSIONS

The intertribal differences in asthma prevalence noted here emphasize the need for further understanding the intertribal environmental, social, and behavioral factors that are associated with childhood asthma and obesity. Such knowledge can help inform disease prevention or disease management strategies that encompass the unique characteristics of tribal communities and culture.

Acanthosis nigricans among Northern Plains American Indian children

The purpose of this study is to present cross-sectional and prospective data on acanthosis nigricans (AN) prevalence in the context of other risk factors for diabetes including high body mass index (BMI), abnormal blood pressure (BP), physical inactivity and family history of diabetes among Northern Plains American Indian (AI) children. Standardized health measures were collected in 2,520 K-12th-grade AI students for AN, BMI, and BP. Data were also collected on family history of diabetes and physical activity. Approximately, 9.7% of the participants were positive for AN. AN was associated with high BMI, abnormal BP, and diabetes family history. Sports participation was inversely associated with AN. Among children measured the prior year, relative risk (and 95% confidence interval [CI]) for obesity and incident AN was 9.8 (4.2-23.0) compared to normal weight. These findings suggest there is utility in measuring this marker of insulin resistance in this at-risk population.

Body mass index in rural first grade schoolchildren: progressive increase in boys

CONTEXT

Childhood overweight is a global health problem. Monitoring of childhood body mass index (BMI) may help identify critical time periods during which excess body weight is accumulated.

PURPOSE

To examine changes in mean BMI and the prevalence of at-risk-for overweight in repeated cross-sectional samples of rural first grade schoolchildren between 1999 and 2004.

METHODS

BMI was determined in 479 first graders from a rural Wyoming school district. BMI and gender-specific BMI-for-age percentiles were determined and evaluated over the 6 years. Children were also classified as normal or at-risk-for overweight according to CDC classification procedures.

FINDINGS

From 1999 to 2004, there was a significant increase in the average BMI of first graders, 15.8+/-2.2 kg/m2 versus 16.8+/-2.2 kg/m2, respectively (P<.05). First grade boys had a progressive increase in BMI from 1999 to 2004 (15.6+/-2.2 kg/m2 compared to 17.3+/-2.2 kg/m2, respectively), but no change was evident for first grade girls. There was an approximate 4-fold increase in the percentage of rural first grade boys classified as at-risk-for overweight between 1999 and 2004.

CONCLUSIONS

A progressive increase in the BMI and the significant increase in prevalence of at-risk-for overweight in rural first grade boys highlight the need for future gender and age group-specific investigations. Focus should be given to primary prevention programs targeting potentially vulnerable time periods when excess weight gain may be occurring.

Overweight and obesity in a rural Amerindian population in Oaxaca, Southern Mexico, 1968-2000

The purpose of this study was to evaluate secular change in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in a rural Zapotec Indian community in southern Mexico between 1968 and 2000. Cross-sectional surveys of children 6-13 years, adolescents 13-17 years, and adults 19 years of age and older resident in a rural community in Oaxaca were conducted in 1968/1971, 1978, and 2000. Individuals present in the 1968, 1978, and 2000 surveys provided a small longitudinal component. Height and weight were measured; the BMI was calculated. International criteria for overweight and obesity were used. Overweight and obesity were virtually absent in school children 6-13 years in 1968 and 1978 and in adolescents in 1978. Small proportions of children (boys, 5%; girls, 8%) and adolescents (boys, 3%; girls, 15%) were overweight in 2000; two children (1%) and no adolescents were obese. Among adults, 7% of males and 19% of females were overweight and <1% of males and 4% of females were obese in 1971/1978, but 46% of males and 47% of females were overweight; and 5% of males and 14% of females were obese in 2000. The trends for children, adolescents, and adults were confirmed in the longitudinal subsamples. In conclusion, overweight and obesity are not presently a major problem in children and adolescents in this rural Zapotec community. Overweight, in particular, and to a lesser extent obesity have increased in prevalence among adults since the late 1970s. The results suggest adulthood as a critical period for onset of overweight and obesity in this sample.

A novel obesity locus on chromosome 4q: the Strong Heart Family Study

OBJECTIVE

Obesity is a growing and important public health problem in Western countries and worldwide. There is ample evidence that both environmental and genetic factors influence the risk of developing obesity. Although a number of genes influencing obesity and obesity-related measures have been localized, it is clear that others remain to be identified. The rate of obesity is particularly high in American Indian populations. This study reports the results of a genome-wide scan for loci influencing BMI and weight in 963 individuals in 58 families from three American Indian populations in Arizona, Oklahoma, and North and South Dakota participating in the Strong Heart Family Study.

RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES

Short tandem repeat markers were genotyped, resulting in a marker map with an average spacing of 10 centimorgans. Standard multipoint variance component linkage methods were used.

RESULTS

Significant evidence of linkage was observed in the overall sample, including all three study sites, for a locus on chromosome 4q35 [logarithm of the odds (LOD)=5.17 for weight, 5.08 for BMI]. Analyses of the three study sites individually showed that the greatest linkage support for the chromosome 4 locus came from Arizona (LOD=2.6 for BMI), but that LOD scores for weight were >1 in all three samples. Suggestive linkage signals (LOD>2) were also observed on chromosomes 5, 7, 8, and 10.

DISCUSSION

The chromosome 4 locus detected in this scan is in a region lacking any obvious positional candidate genes with known functions related to obesity. This locus may represent a novel obesity gene.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among Guaraní-Mbyá from Misiones, Argentina

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of overweight and obesity and the fat distribution pattern in Mbyá-Guaraní children and adults from Misiones, Argentina. Height, weight, and triceps and subscapular skinfolds were measured in 197 individuals aged 2-60 years. Body mass index (BMI), fat and muscle areas, and subscapular/tricipital index were calculated. All data were transformed to z-scores using US references (NHANES I and II). Overweight and obesity were defined as BMIs between the 85th-95th or above the 95th percentile, respectively. Compared to NHANES references, the Mbyá were shorter and lighter, although their BMI was slightly higher. There were no substantial differences in body composition (fat and muscle) between the Mbyá and the reference. Prevalences of overweight and obesity reached (on average) 16.2 and 14.7%, respectively, and were similar in both sexes. Stunting was higher in females than in males (49.6 vs. 33.3%). Sixty percent of overweight and obese subjects showed a centralized adiposity pattern, and 49% had a high risk for abdominal adiposity. The present results provide new evidence of a striking increase in obesity rates in Amerindians as a part of the process of nutritional transition. The contribution of each component of energy balance, physical activity, and lifestyle could play an important role in this observed tendency, justifying further research in these transitional populations.