Measurement Equivalence of the K6 Scale: The Effects of Race/Ethnicity and Language (Assessment)
Published Date: April 10, 2014

Asian Americans have low prevalence of overweight/obesity based on standard BMI cut points yet have higher rates of diabetes. Using 2009 California Health Interview Survey data, the authors examined the prevalence of overweight/obesity, using lower BMI cut points recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for Asians, and diabetes in Asian American subgroups in California.

Among Asian subgroups, overweight/obesity was highest among Filipinos, which was higher than Non-Hispanic Whites but similar to African Americans and Hispanics. Compared to NHW, diabetes prevalence was higher for Vietnamese, Koreans, Filipinos and South Asians with BMI=23-24.9kg/m(2) and Koreans, Filipinos and Japanese with BMI=27.5-29.9kg/m(2), the ranges WHO recommends as overweight or obese for Asians but not for other groups.

Filipinos should be a priority population for overweight/obesity screening. Filipinos, Vietnamese, Korean, South Asians and Japanese have higher diabetes prevalence at lower BMI cut points. WHO Asian BMI cut points may have clinical utility to identify at-risk Asian Americans.​



Publication Authors:
  • Jane Jih
  • et al
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