Obesity trends by ethnicity in Hawai‘i: The last ten years (1999–2008)

SummaryObesity levels are rising rapidly in United States of America however, less is known about the obesity trends regarding the specific ethnicities prevalent in Hawai‘i, which may inform efforts to eliminate disparities.ObjectiveThe purpose of this report is to analyze the body mass index (BMI) trends of the four major ethnicities in Hawai‘i (White, Japanese, Hawaiian, and Filipino) over the last ten years.MethodThe BMI data overall and by ethnicity from 1999 to 2008 were utilized from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).ResultsWe found that all ethnicities experienced a 47% increase in mean percent of obese persons. The Hawaiian ethnic group had the largest number of obese individuals, but they experienced the smallest increase. The Filipino ethnic group had less obese individuals, but they experienced the largest percentage increase.ConclusionBased on these findings, obesity prevention efforts aimed at Hawai‘i's multicultural population need to be improved and increased.