Relationship between obesity and well-known risk factors for chronic diseases in Tennessee

Authors' Affiliations

Omodele Serah Agbejimi, 1Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA Margaret Henneh Arhin, Public Health Unit, College of Nursing and Midwifery, Tanoso – Ahafo Region, Ghana

Location

D.P. Culp Center Ballroom

Start Date

4-5-2024 9:00 AM

End Date

4-5-2024 11:30 AM

Poster Number

79

Name of Project's Faculty Sponsor

Billy Brooks

Faculty Sponsor's Department

Biostatistics and Epidemiology

Classification of First Author

Graduate Student-Doctoral

Competition Type

Competitive

Type

Poster Presentation

Presentation Category

Health

Abstract or Artist's Statement

Obesity is rapidly becoming a societal problem and an alarming public health issue in both developed and developing countries as it accounts for 10-13% of all mortalities globally. In Tennessee, obesity is a key factor that explains 22.9% of the loss of quality-adjusted life years. In rural Tennessee, obesity is a leading cause of injury among farmers. Smoking, alcohol use, physical inactivity and obesity are well-known issues of public health concern in Tennessee, but from the scientific literature, adequate studies have not been conducted to determine the interplay between the abovementioned behavioral factors and obesity. This study was therefore designed to determine the prevalence of obesity and its association with diet, smoking status, physical activity and alcohol consumption in the state of Tennessee. A cross-sectional study was performed using 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. The BRFSS is a nationwide survey spearheaded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that gathers data on health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions and preventive service usage. With STATA, a weighted frequency distribution was performed for the characteristics in the study. A chi-square test was performed to check for associations between obesity and potential predictors. Variables associated with obesity at a significance level of 0.05 were further modeled in a complex survey bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. The study involved 4349 respondents aged 18 years and older. The prevalence of obesity in Tennessee was 34.96% (95% CI: 33.13–36.85). According to the final adjusted model, the demographic factors associated with obesity in Tennessee included age 65 years and older (AOR=0.76, 95% CI=0.60–0.99) and black ethnicity/race (AOR=1.67, 95% CI=1.21–2.30). The odds of obesity were 0.57 (95% CI: 0.45–0.710) times lower among individuals who engaged in physical activity. Smoking (AOR=0.73, 95% CI=0.56–0.95) and alcohol use (AOR=0.81, 95% CI=0.66–0.99) were inversely related to obesity. Fruit and vegetable consumption did not exhibit any statistically significant relationship with obesity. The major challenge to obesity control and prevention by public health practitioners is inadequate apprehension of the localized determinants of obesity. The localized determinants of obesity in Tennessee individuals included age, race, physical activity, alcohol use and smoking. While physical inactivity increases the odds of obesity, smoking and alcohol use seemingly decrease the risk of obesity. However, these observed relationships between alcohol use, smoking and obesity, although not uncommon, must be interpreted with caution since the data used in this analysis were self-reported. Social desirability bias could lead to such results. Furthermore, the superficially protective effect of smoking is not recommended, as the scientific literature reveals that current and previous smokers store fat in forms that does not make them gain weight. Physical activity continuous to be a crucial tool for preventing obesity. Strategies by the Tennessee Health Department to reduce obesity must encompass the promotion of physical activity, especially among black people.

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Apr 5th, 9:00 AM Apr 5th, 11:30 AM

Relationship between obesity and well-known risk factors for chronic diseases in Tennessee

D.P. Culp Center Ballroom

Obesity is rapidly becoming a societal problem and an alarming public health issue in both developed and developing countries as it accounts for 10-13% of all mortalities globally. In Tennessee, obesity is a key factor that explains 22.9% of the loss of quality-adjusted life years. In rural Tennessee, obesity is a leading cause of injury among farmers. Smoking, alcohol use, physical inactivity and obesity are well-known issues of public health concern in Tennessee, but from the scientific literature, adequate studies have not been conducted to determine the interplay between the abovementioned behavioral factors and obesity. This study was therefore designed to determine the prevalence of obesity and its association with diet, smoking status, physical activity and alcohol consumption in the state of Tennessee. A cross-sectional study was performed using 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. The BRFSS is a nationwide survey spearheaded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that gathers data on health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions and preventive service usage. With STATA, a weighted frequency distribution was performed for the characteristics in the study. A chi-square test was performed to check for associations between obesity and potential predictors. Variables associated with obesity at a significance level of 0.05 were further modeled in a complex survey bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. The study involved 4349 respondents aged 18 years and older. The prevalence of obesity in Tennessee was 34.96% (95% CI: 33.13–36.85). According to the final adjusted model, the demographic factors associated with obesity in Tennessee included age 65 years and older (AOR=0.76, 95% CI=0.60–0.99) and black ethnicity/race (AOR=1.67, 95% CI=1.21–2.30). The odds of obesity were 0.57 (95% CI: 0.45–0.710) times lower among individuals who engaged in physical activity. Smoking (AOR=0.73, 95% CI=0.56–0.95) and alcohol use (AOR=0.81, 95% CI=0.66–0.99) were inversely related to obesity. Fruit and vegetable consumption did not exhibit any statistically significant relationship with obesity. The major challenge to obesity control and prevention by public health practitioners is inadequate apprehension of the localized determinants of obesity. The localized determinants of obesity in Tennessee individuals included age, race, physical activity, alcohol use and smoking. While physical inactivity increases the odds of obesity, smoking and alcohol use seemingly decrease the risk of obesity. However, these observed relationships between alcohol use, smoking and obesity, although not uncommon, must be interpreted with caution since the data used in this analysis were self-reported. Social desirability bias could lead to such results. Furthermore, the superficially protective effect of smoking is not recommended, as the scientific literature reveals that current and previous smokers store fat in forms that does not make them gain weight. Physical activity continuous to be a crucial tool for preventing obesity. Strategies by the Tennessee Health Department to reduce obesity must encompass the promotion of physical activity, especially among black people.