Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Cra’Sean T. Carey
Obesity is a health issue many people face in the United States and is a public health
issue that has become an epidemic over time. Obesity is determined through the body mass
index, or BMI, which is a ratio of the weight and height of an individual. It is used to help report
the health condition of someone being above his or her most suitable weight. If your BMI is 30
or higher, you are considered obese. In the United States, more than one third, about 35%, or
roughly 78 million adults are obese, and another one third of the United States adults are
overweight (AHA, 2016). Results from the 2005-2008 National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey (NHANES) stated 5.9 percent of the United States adults are extremely
obese which is a BMI above 40 (CDC, 2008). Reports form A National Institution of Health
shows that adults from 20-74 years of age obesity has increased from 13.4 to 35.1 percent from
1976-80 and 2005-2006 (AHA, 2016). Segal, Rayburn, and Martin (2017) found that 45% of
adults in the United States are inactive. In 2011-2014, middle aged Americans (ages 40-59) had
the highest obesity rate than any age group at 41%, followed by seniors (ages 60 and older) at
Segal, Rayburn, and Martin (2016) found individuals with lower income and or education
levels are disproportionately more likely to be obese. Roughly 33 percent of adults who earned
less than 15,000 per year were noted as being obese in comparison with others who made more
than 50,000 a year (Segal et al., 2015). The aim of this review is to determine where there is an
association between low incomes and obesity rates in African American women ages 25-35.
According to Banerjee et al. it is a significant public health concern to find a strategy to help
high risk women find weight loss treatment. If there was higher income in lower income homes,
there wouldn’t be high obesity rates in African American women. My review is being undertaken
to figure out if higher income would lower obesity rates with African American women.
OBESITY AND LOW INCOME 3
insufficient education on healthy eating and regular exercise instead of low income. In the cross-
sectional study conducted by Hartman et al. (2015), they collected data from previous findings
developed by the Emory Prevention Research Center using a community based approach with a
partnership with Cancer Coalition of South Georgia. The study ran was a randomized controlled
intervention designed to test the success of home-based coach to aid healthy home eating and
exercise to prevent weight gain. They had a sample of 198 overweight, or obese, low-income
African American women take a home food environment survey and a dietary assessment. These
surveys were taken twice a week over the phone with trained interview staff using standardized
methods for 6 and 12 months. In this study, they found that demographic characteristics were not
significantly associated with the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) total score, but environmental
determinates were significantly associated with higher quality diets, like shopping and preparing
food. In contrast, environmental determinates were significantly associated with lower quality
diets with eating unhealthy food while watching television. Overall in this study they found that
education on healthier eating and proper food intake would produce the most favorable results
Charlie et al. (2016) ran a cross-sectional study that investigated whether physician-
informed weight status could predict weight self-perception and weight self-regulation strategies
in obese women. They had a convenience sample of 118 low-income African American women
take a survey evaluate demographics, weight regulations for self, and self-perception of weight.
Their BMI was taken and binary logistic regressions were performed to test their hypothesis.
They found a trend that had normalized overweight African American women negatively
affected the intervention effort to reduce obesity. Some women had a misperception of weight
OBESITY AND LOW INCOME 4
due to their cultural norms making them perceive their weight as healthy. In contrast some
women knew that they were over-weight but believed their goal weight was unachievable,
discouraging them from acting to live a healthier lifestyle. Researchers found with that
knowledge that educating these women would help reduce obesity as succeed in the experiment.
In this sample 61% had less than 15,000 yearly income, 83% were publicly funded or no health
insurance, 58% had a high school education or less, 16% of the sample had a college degree.
30.5% of the women were not informed of their weight status by their physicians before this
survey. These researchers found that lower socioeconomic status contributes to the increase of
incidence of obesity. Both Hartman et al. (2015) and Charlie et al. (2016) found that education
on heathy life style is significantly associated with obesity while Carlie et al (2016) also found
Unlike the other articles reviewed in Irene, A., and Lauren, H. (2013) cross-sectional
convenience nonrandom sample of 364 women 92 were African American women and 272 were
Hispanic. They found that majority of African American women had some knowledge of healthy
eating and healthier life style. Irene et al. (2013) noticed African Americans attitudes towards
food was directly related to BMI as well as food security level to diet intake. African American
women were compared to Hispanic women and researchers found that African American women
had higher income and still had higher obesity rates than Hispanic women. Cost was still labeled
as a barrier for both groups. Vedovato et al. conducted a research on food insecurity, overweight
and obesity among low-income African American families in Baltimore City, MD. It was a cross-
sectional survey taken in 14 low-income neighborhoods by 298 adults caregivers. In this study
food insecurity and obesity was noticed in low-income settings as well as in the Irene, A., and
Lauren, H. study.
OBESITY AND LOW INCOME 5
Banerjee et al. (2018) found their study to be consistent with Bennet et al, patients need
proper education, a plan, and accountability. In this study education of proper diet and exercise
helped women lose weight successfully like all the other reviewed articles there was a
disproportionally association with low income and obesity in the African American women.
This review was being undertaken to figure out if higher income would lower obesity
rates with African American women. Based on the supporting evidence presented in this review
income was disproportionally association with African American women. I found that there
should be more educational interventions with low income families and communities to promote
a healthier lifestyle. While insufficient funds were a barrier so was education. In Irene, A., and
Lauren, H. research it showed African American women to have more income than a Hispanic
women and Hispanic women still had lower rates of obesity. I firmly believe income might be an
Public health practitioners could use my study to acknowledge that there are income
barriers but they are disproportionately insignificant associated with obesity in African American
women. These practitioners should educate the individuals and communities that they interact
with to promote a healthier lifestyle to reduce the obesity rates, because education was the main
barrier to living a healthier life within the African American community. So, the best foot
moving forward would be to educate through interventions, create pamphlets, and health fairs.
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References
American Heart Association (2016, March 09). Understanding the American Obesity Epidemic.
Retrieved April 1, 2018.
American Heart Association (2018, February 16). Weight Management. Retrieved April 1, 2018.
Banerjee, E. S., Herring, S. J., Hurley, K. E., Puskarz, K., Yebernetsky, K., & LaNoue, M.
(2018). Overcoming Obesity: A Mixed Methods Study of the Impact of Primary Care
Charlie L., H., Gregory, S., Sandra, M., Brian, G., & Michelle Y., M. (2016). Perceived
doi:10.1353/hpu.2016.0140
Hartman, T. J., Haardörfer, R., Whitaker, L. L., Addison, A., Zlotorzynska, M., Gazmararian, J.
A., & ... Haardörfer, R. (2015). Dietary and Behavioral Factors Associated with Diet
Quality among Low-income Overweight and Obese African American Women. Journal
Irene, A., & Lauren, H. (2013). Are Nutrition Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs Associated with
National Center for Health Statistics. (2009, December 23). Retrieved April 1, 2018
Segal, L. M., Rayburn, J., & Martin, A. (n.d.). Obesity Rates & Trends. (2016, March) Retrieved
April 1, 2018.
OBESITY AND LOW INCOME 7
Segal, L. M., Rayburn, J., & Martin, A. (n.d.).Obesity Rates & Trends. (2017, August). Retrieved
March 13, 2018.
Vedovato, G. M., Surkan, P. J., Jones-Smith, J., Steeves, E. A., Eunkyung, H., Trude, A. B., & ...
Trude, A. C. (2016). Food insecurity, overweight and obesity among low-income African-