South Asian boys are more likely to be overweight compared to peers, new study finds
2014-11-19
(Press-News.org) South Asian boys are three times as likely to be overweight compared to their peers, according to a new Women's College Hospital study.
The report, which was recently published in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, was one of the first to look at ethnic group differences in overweight children living in Canada.
"Our findings are alarming. From a young age, South Asian boys appear to be on a path towards developing serious health conditions," said Ananya Banerjee, PhD, lead researcher of the study.
Previous work has established that, in Canada, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases are more prevalent among South Asian adults, compared to non-South Asian populations. Being overweight or obese increases an individual's risk of developing these conditions.
In this study, researchers measured the heights and weights of 734 Toronto students between the ages of 10 and 12 years. Researchers tracked each participant's physical activity during selected times over seven days and considered socio-demographic factors -- including household income, highest level of education attained by parents living in the household and median household income.
Key findings include:
Overall, the likelihood of being overweight was higher in populations of South Asian children (36.9 per cent), compared to non-South Asian populations (23.0 per cent)
The median number of minutes per day spent engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity was lower in South Asian children (24.1 minutes) compared to non-South Asian children (28.9 minutes)
Even after adjusting for socio-demographic and behavioral factors, the likelihood of being overweight was significantly higher among South Asian boys compared to non-South Asian boys
"It's likely that cultural perceptions around being overweight -- in addition to exercise and diet -- are contributing to the trends we are seeing," says Banerjee.
The study authors also highlight the need for future public health initiatives directed at South Asian populations, particularly children.
INFORMATION:
Women's College Hospital is advancing the health of women and improving healthcare options for all by delivering innovative models of ambulatory care. Fully affiliated with the University of Toronto, the hospital is Canada's leading academic, ambulatory hospital and a world leader in women's health. With more than 800 physicians, nurses and health professionals, the hospital offers a range of specialized clinics and programs that are bridging the gaps in the health system. Women's College Hospital is helping to keep people out of hospital by being at the forefront of cutting-edge research, diagnosis and treatment that will help prevent illness and enable patients to manage their health conditions. This healthcare enables Canadians to live healthier, more independent lives. At the Women's College Research Institute, scientists combine science and patient care to develop innovative solutions to today's greatest health challenges.
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
2014-11-19
Recently published research by U.S. Forest Service economist Jeff Prestemon supports the contention that the 2008 Lacey Act Amendment reduced the supply of illegally harvested wood from South America and Asia available for export to the United States.
Using monthly import data from 1989 to 2013, Prestemon, Project Leader of the Forest Service Southern Research Station Forest Economics and Policy unit, applied alternative statistical approaches to evaluate the effects of the 2008 amendment. The Journal of Forest Policy and Economics recently published the results online. ...
2014-11-19
CHICAGO - Women who take a common type of medication to control their blood pressure are not at increased risk of developing breast cancer due to the drug, according to new study by researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Murray, Utah.
Researchers analyzed the records of more than 3,700 women who had no history of breast cancer, and who had long-term use of calcium channel blocker medications to control their blood pressure. Researchers found only a minimal increase in risk in one study and a 50 percent reduced risk in a second, leading them ...
2014-11-19
Inspired perhaps by Harry Potter's invisibility cloak, scientists have recently developed several ways--some simple and some involving new technologies--to hide objects from view. The latest effort, developed at the University of Rochester, not only overcomes some of the limitations of previous devices, but it uses inexpensive, readily available materials in a novel configuration.
"There've been many high tech approaches to cloaking and the basic idea behind these is to take light and have it pass around something as if it isn't there, often using high-tech or exotic ...
2014-11-19
Attending to and caring about the emotions of employees and colleagues - that's for wimps, not for tough businesspeople and efficient performers, right? Wrong! An extensive international study has now shown: The "ability to recognize emotions" affects income. The corresponding author of the study is Professor Dr. Gerhard Blickle of the Department of Psychology at the University of Bonn. The results are published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior.
"Although managing employees and dealing with people often involves reading their emotions and determining their moods, ...
2014-11-19
A catastrophic landslide, one of the largest known on the surface of the Earth, took place within minutes in southwestern Utah more than 21 million years ago, reports a Kent State University geologist in a paper being to be published in the November issue of the journal Geology.
The Markagunt gravity slide, the size of three Ohio counties, is one of the two largest known continental landslides (larger slides exist on the ocean floors). David Hacker, Ph.D., associate professor of geology at the Trumbull campus, and two colleagues discovered and mapped the scope of the ...
2014-11-19
This news release is available in German. Because the skin and its function as a barrier are severely compromised in neurodermatitis patients, a large number of bacterial species are able to multiply - including the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. Many patients have nearly 200-times as many S. aureus bacteria living on their skin as healthy individuals, resulting in frequent infections. Prof. Tilo Biedermann and his team at the Allergology and Dermatology Clinic of Klinikum rechts der Isar and the University of Tübingen have now shown in an animal model how these ...
2014-11-19
A plague of "aquatic osteoporosis" is spreading throughout many North American soft-water lakes due to declining calcium levels in the water and hindering the survival of some organisms, says new research from Queen's University.
Researchers from Queen's, working with colleagues from York University and the University of Cambridge, as well as other collaborators, have identified a biological shift in many temperate, soft-water lakes in response to declining calcium levels after prolonged periods of acid rain and timber harvesting. The reduced calcium availability is hindering ...
2014-11-19
Queen's University biologist Virginia Walker and Queen's SARC Awarded Postdoctoral Fellow Pranab Das have shown nanosilver, which is often added to water purification units, can upset your gut. The discovery is important as people are being exposed to nanoparticles every day.
Nanosilver is also used in biomedical applications, toys, sunscreen, cosmetics, clothing and other items.
"We were surprised to see significant upset of the human gut community at the lowest concentration of nanosilver in this study," says Dr. Das. "To our knowledge, this is the first time anyone ...
2014-11-19
This news release is available in German. The research team also showed that the pathological changes of the astrocytes can be mitigated by pharmacological treatment. The triggering molecules turned out to be energy carriers of the cell such as ATP: These molecules can induce the astrocytes to switch into a hyperactive state, which is characterized by sudden fluctuations in the concentration of calcium. As the researchers describe in the scientific journal Nature Communications, their study suggests a novel potential approach for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
In ...
2014-11-19
Residential treatment may be an appropriate first-line option for young adults who are dependent on opioid drugs - including prescription painkillers and heroin - that may result in higher levels of abstinence than does the outpatient treatment that is currently the standard of care. A study from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Addiction Services found that a month-long, 12-step-based residential program with strong linkage to community-based follow-up care, enabled almost 30 percent of opioid-dependent participants to remain abstinent a year later. ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
[Press-News.org] South Asian boys are more likely to be overweight compared to peers, new study finds
