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Title: Dietary, lifestyle, and health correlates of overweight and obesity in adults 19 to 39 years of age: The Bogalusa Heart Study

Author
item O'NEIL, CAROL - Louisiana State University
item DESHMUKH-TASKA, PRIYA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item MENDOZA, JASON - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item NICKLAS, THERESA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item LIU, YAN - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item RELYEA, GEORGE - University Of Memphis
item BERENSON, GERALD - Tulane School Of Public Health

Submitted to: American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/7/2011
Publication Date: 6/18/2012
Citation: O'Neil, C.E., Deshmukh-Taska, P., Mendoza, J.A., Nicklas, T.A., Liu, Y., Relyea, G., Berenson, G.S. 2012. Dietary, lifestyle, and health correlates of overweight and obesity in adults 19 to 39 years of age: The Bogalusa Heart Study. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine. 6(4):347-358.

Interpretive Summary: Young adulthood is an important transition period for health behaviors related to obesity and cardiovascular risk factors. Very few studies have looked at the association of health behaviors with health risk factors in young adults. We investigated the relationship between diet, lifestyle factors, and obesity in young adults among a cohort from Bogalusa, Louisiana. Compared to normal weight adults, obese adults had greater odds of being less physically active and consuming hamburgers/sandwiches, processed meats, and sweetened or diet beverages. Overweight and obese adults had worse clinical tests related to their risk of heart disease and Type 2 Diabetes. This study provides documented association of health behaviors with health risk factors in young adults. Interventions and policies should address these important behaviors among young adults.

Technical Abstract: Diet and lifestyle factors of young adults and their relationship to health risk factors are understudied. Data from the Bogalusa Heart Study population (n = 1214; 19-39 years; 74.1% white; 60.8% female) were used to study associations of lifestyle, health risk factors, and reported health problems with the National Institutes of Health body mass index (BMI) categories of normal, overweight, and obese. Data from self-reported questionnaires and laboratory measures were evaluated using covariate-adjusted multinomial logistic regression and analysis of covariance, linear trend test, and the Cochran–Armitage trend test. Obese individuals had lower odds of consuming high-fat dairy products (odds ratio [OR] = 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.62-0.96) and fruit/fruit juice/vegetables (OR = 0.83; CI = 0.75-0.93) and had higher odds of consuming hamburgers/sandwiches (OR = 2.81; CI = 1.52-5.20); processed meats (OR = 6.95; CI = 2.20-21.96); and sweetened (OR = 1.20; CI = 1.01-1.43) or diet beverages (OR = 1.27; CI = 1.02-1.58) than those of normal weight. Obese participants also had higher odds of being physically inactive versus being very active (OR = 2.65; CI = 1.64-4.29). Mean serum total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein-B, and insulin resistance were higher (P < .05 for all) in the overweight/obese when compared with normal weight individuals. Values were higher in those with higher weight status (linear trend P < .0001 for all). Self-reported health problems also increased with BMI. Interventions to improve diet and physical activity patterns among overweight/obese adults in this age group are needed.