Income, body fatness, and fat patterns in Hispanic women from the Hispanic health and nutrition examination survey

Using data from the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES) (National Center for Health Statistics, 1985), we examined the relationships of income to body fatness and centralized fat patterns in Hispanic women, ages 25-74 years. There were 1,552 Mexican-American, 451 Cuban-American, and 654 Puerto Rican women. We used linear regression to estimate models of body fatness for weight with the covariates standing and sitting heights, and triceps and subscapular skinfolds. The indicator of central fat was the subscapular/triceps skinfold ratio. Income, estimated with the Poverty Index Ratio from the HHANES, was negatively associated with weight (p < .01) and triceps skinfold (p < .05) in Mexican-American women and with subscapular skinfold in Puerto Rican women (p < .01). Acculturation level was inversely related to central adiposity in Mexican-Americans (p < .07). The body fatness trends found in Mexican-American and Puerto Rican women were consistent with those for other groups but were not apparent among the Cuban-Americans. These groups should be targeted differently for interventions to decrease body fatness and lower the risk for chronic disease.