Impact of Dietary Vitamin Intake on Obesity in Native American Adolescents - Abstract
Background: The overall obesity rates in the United States have been increasing but adolescent rates have been gaining momentum at an alarming rate compared to other age groups. However, these statistics consider the United States population as a whole and fail to recognize ethnic minority groups such as Native Americans who have adolescent obesity rates 12.9% above the 2015 national average. This study analyzed the dietary vitamin intake values of Native American adolescents in relation to their body fat mass categories.
Methods: Our study’s population was drawn from grades 9 through 12 and consisted of 183 Native American adolescents ages 14-18, representing 43 tribes across the USA. Dietary intake data was obtained using the Harvard School of Public Health Youth Adolescent Questionnaire (HSPHYAQ), a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire that estimates macronutrients and micronutrients from foods in the participants’ diet. The completed surveys were prepared for scanning by The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Nutrition Department.
Results: All body fat mass categories were deficient in vitamins D, E, K, B4, B5 & B9. Obese females were shown to be generally more deficient than normal females.
Conclusion: Within the Native American population in the United States, adolescents were found to have micronutrient deficiencies and higher rates of obesity compared to national figures. Impact Statement: Conducted amongst a population group with higher-than-average rates of child and adolescent obesity, this study discovered that there were only four vitamins in which all BMI groups met the adequate dietary intake for, meaning that even the normal weight range group often had an inadequate dietary vitamin intake.