Photo Credit: LuckyTD

Multiracial Asian and Pacific Islander (API) patients had increased rates of obesity compared with many of their single-race counterparts, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. Adrian M. Bacong, PhD, MPH, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study of 5,229 patients. They aimed to assess disparities in obesity prevalence among single-race and multiracial API people compared with non-Hispanic White people. The study showed the highest rates of obesity among patients identifying as API and White (52.0%), followed by Other Pacific Islander (49.5%), Native Hawaiian (48.4%), and Pacific Islander and White (44.9%). Dr. Bacong and colleagues adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic, and health behavior factors and found that people identifying as multiracial API and White or Pacific Islander and White had significantly higher odds of obesity compared with White individuals. Conversely, all single-race Asian people had lower odds of obesity compared with White people. The findings underscore obesity disparities within API communities, highlighting the need for targeted interventions.