BACKGROUND: In Wisconsin, overweight and obesity (O&O) increases quickly from 40% in 18-24 year olds to 65% in 30-34 year olds. With obesity costing $6,518-8,365 per person in medical costs, absenteeism, disability, and other items, is there a different approach we could use to slow this progression? The purpose of this study is to analyze characteristics associated with O&O to see if there is new information we could use to adapt our obesity prevention strategies.
METHODS: 2011-2015 Wisconsin weighted BRFSS data was used for this analysis and restricted to people ages 18-29. The sample was split into two independent groups, O&O and Not O&O. Descriptive analyses were performed using Chi-square or Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests (p <0.05) to examine differences between the two groups for demographics, social determinants, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), health behaviors, and health outcomes. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds of health indicators and outcomes of people who are O&O compared to those who are not (adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and education). All analyses were performed using SAS 9.4.
RESULTS: Characteristics associated with O&O include being male, married, less educated, employed, black, LGBT, and living outside of a metropolitan area. People with O&O were less likely to have zero ACEs. Of the social support questions aimed at finding out how people felt growing up, people with O&O were less likely to feel like they belonged in high school, less likely to have adults take interest in their activities, and less likely to feel able to talk with family about their feelings. Other factors associated with O&O include smoking, physical inactivity, and not taking vitamins. The odds of having hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol were all higher for people with O&O. Variables that were not found to be significant include income, binge drinking, sleep, and fruit and vegetable intake.
CONCLUSIONS: Events that occur before age 18 (ACEs, feeling supported by friends, family, or other adults) may have a large impact on whether someone becomes O&O later in life. Perhaps more needs to be done during youth and young adulthood that can improve peoples’ mental and social health which could potentially improve their physical health down the road. Worksite wellness activities (including trauma informed care) may need to play a bigger role than it currently does in obesity prevention as employment is significantly associated with overweight and obesity in this age group.