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Change in Obesity Prevalence among New York City Adults: the NYC Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2004 and 2013–2014

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A Correction to this article was published on 20 August 2018

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to measure change in obesity prevalence among New York City (NYC) adults from 2004 to 2013–2014 and assess variation across sociodemographic subgroups. We used objectively measured height and weight data from the NYC Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to calculate relative percent change in obesity (≥ 30 kg/m2) between 2004 (n = 1987) and 2013–2014 (n = 1489) among all NYC adults and sociodemographic subgroups. We also examined changes in self-reported proxies for energy imbalance. Estimates were age-standardized and statistical significance was evaluated using two-tailed T tests and multivariable regression (p < 0.05). Between 2004 and 2013–2014, obesity increased from 27.5 to 32.4% (p = 0.01). Prevalence remained stable and high among women (31.2 to 32.8%, p = 0.53), but increased among men (23.4 to 32.0%, p = 0.002), especially among non-Latino White men and men age ≥ 65 years. Black adults had the highest prevalence in 2013–2014 (37.1%) and Asian adults experienced the largest increase (20.1 to 29.2%, p = 0.06), especially Asian women. Foreign-born participants and participants lacking health insurance also had large increases in obesity. We observed increases in eating out and screen time over time and no improvements in physical activity. Our findings show increases in obesity in NYC in the past decade, with important sociodemographic differences.

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  • 20 August 2018

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Acknowledgments

Support for NYCHANES 2013–2014 was provided by the de Beaumont Foundation with additional support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Robin Hood, the NYS Health Foundation, Quest Diagnostics, and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, NYC Health Department, Hunter College Office of the Provost, CUNY Vice Chancellors Office of Research, and CUNY School of Public Health Dean’s Office.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Population Health, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA

    Pasquale Rummo, Rania Kanchi, Brian Elbel, Chau Trinh-Shevrin & Lorna Thorpe

  2. NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Division of Epidemiology, Long Island City, NY, USA

    Sharon Perlman

  3. NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York, NY, USA

    Brian Elbel

Authors
  1. Pasquale Rummo
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  2. Rania Kanchi
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  3. Sharon Perlman
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  4. Brian Elbel
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  6. Lorna Thorpe
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pasquale Rummo.

Appendix

Appendix

Table 4 Changes in obesity risk factors (mean/%) among (a) all NYC adults, (b) obese NYC adults, and (c) non-obese NYC adults (aged 20 years and older), by gender, NYC HANES 2004 and 2013–2014
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Rummo, P., Kanchi, R., Perlman, S. et al. Change in Obesity Prevalence among New York City Adults: the NYC Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2004 and 2013–2014. J Urban Health 95, 787–799 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-018-0288-9

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