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Rising trend in obesity in Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites: is it due to cigarette smoking cessation?

International Journal of Obesity volume 24, pages 1689–1694 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Several studies have examined the influence of smoking cessation on weight gain. However, to date no study has examined this association in Mexican Americans (MA).

DESIGN: Using data collected from the San Antonio Heart Study, a population-based study of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, we examined the association between smoking cessation and weight gain in 1930 Mexican Americans and 1126 non-Hispanic whites (NHW). Smoking cessation was defined as self-reported smoking at baseline but not at follow-up.

RESULTS: Although there was no significant ethnic difference in the prevalence of smoking at baseline (27.2% in MA and 25.4% in NHW, P=0.309), a greater proportion of MA smoked at follow-up compared to NHW (19.7% vs 16.5%, P=0.037). However, there was no significant ethnic difference in the percentage of individuals who stopped smoking during the follow-up period. A two-fold greater percentage of MA quitters than NHW quitters became overweight or obese, defined as a body mass index greater than or equal to 25 kg/m2 (7.4% vs 3.1%). However, this difference did not quite reach statistical significance (P=0.072). Using linear regression to predict change in weight or body mass index from baseline to follow-up, smoking cessation was predictive of either weight gain or BMI gain in both ethnic groups. However, smoking status accounted for only 1.0% of the variance in these outcomes, and the estimated risk of becoming overweight or obese attributable to smoking cessation was only 7.4% in MA and 3.1% in NHW.

CONCLUSION: We conclude that there is an ethnic difference in the influence of smoking cessation on weight gain in MA and NHW. However, in both ethnic groups this effect is quite small and makes only a slight contribution to the overall increase in prevalence of obesity in this population.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (RO1HL24799 and R37HL36820) and was conducted at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr Burke was supported by an ADA Mentor-Based Post-Doctoral Fellowship Award.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Sciences Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA

    JP Burke & MP Stern

  2. Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Epidemiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA

    HP Hazuda

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  1. JP Burke
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  2. HP Hazuda
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  3. MP Stern
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Correspondence to JP Burke.

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Burke, J., Hazuda, H. & Stern, M. Rising trend in obesity in Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites: is it due to cigarette smoking cessation?. Int J Obes 24, 1689–1694 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801439

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