Abstract
OBJECTIVES: We assessed income-specific trends in obesity rates among a diverse population of California adolescents. METHODS: We used data from 17,535 adolescents who responded to the California Health Interview Survey between 2001 and 2007 to examine disparities in obesity prevalence by family income and gender. RESULTS: Between 2001 and 2007, obesity prevalence significantly increased among lower-income adolescents but showed no statistically significant differences among higher-income adolescents after adjustment for age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Although the overall disparity in obesity by family income doubled in this time period, trends were more consistent among male adolescents than among female adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of the income disparity in obesity prevalence among California adolescents more than doubled between 2001-2007. The overall leveling off of adolescent obesity prevalence rates could indicate that efforts to decrease childhood obesity are having an impact; however, our results suggest that efforts to prevent childhood obesity may be failing to help adolescents from lower-income families, particularly male adolescents.