A demographic, clinical, and behavioral typology of obesity in the United States: an analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2012

Jimenez, Marcia P, Green, Mark A ORCID: 0000-0002-0942-6628, Subramanian, SV and Razak, Fahad (2018) A demographic, clinical, and behavioral typology of obesity in the United States: an analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2012 ANNALS OF EPIDEMIOLOGY, 28 (3). pp. 175-181. ISSN 1047-2797, 1873-2585

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Abstract

Purpose: Public health reporting, randomized trials, and epidemiologic studies of obesity tend to consider it as a homogeneous entity. However, obesity may represent a heterogeneous condition according to demographic, clinical, and behavioral factors. We assessed the heterogeneity of individuals with obesity in the United States. Methods: We analyzed data from the 2011–2012 wave of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States with detailed physical examination and clinical data (n = 1380). We used cluster analysis to identify subgroups classified as obese according to demographic factors, clinical conditions, and behavioral characteristics. Results: We found significant heterogeneity among participants with obesity according to six distinct clusters (P <.001): affluent men with sleep disorders (16% of sample); older smokers with cardiovascular disease (16%); older women with high comorbidity (20%); healthy white women (13%); healthy non-white women (14%); and active men who drink higher amounts of alcohol (21%). Conclusions: Obesity in the United States is not a homogeneous condition. Current research and treatment may fail to account for complex and interrelated factors, with implications for prevention strategies and diverse risks of obesity.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Obesity, Body mass index, Cluster analysis, Population heterogeneity
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	04 Jan 2018 16:55
Last Modified:	16 Jun 2026 15:32
DOI:	10.1016/j.annepidem.2018.01.001
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3015433
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