Caregiving and Obesity among Black American Adults

Abstract

Black American adults often report higher rates of obesity and caregiving compared with other racial or ethnic groups. Consequently, many Black American caregivers and care recipients are obese or have obesity-related chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes, hypertension). This study investigated associations between caregiving and obesity among Black Americans, including the role of health behaviors and chronic conditions. The sample included data from 2015 and 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for non-Hispanic Black (NHB) or African American adult caregivers (n = 2,562) and noncaregivers (n = 7,027). The association between obesity (dependent variable) and caregiving status, fruit consumption, vegetable consumption, physical activity, and number of chronic conditions (independent variables) were evaluated using hierarchical binomial logistic regressions. Caregiving, being female, and chronic conditions were associated with higher odds of obesity, while physical activity was associated with lower odds of obesity. Physical activity, diet, and chronic conditions did not account for differences in obesity among caregiving and noncaregiving Black Americans. Increasing understanding of health behaviors and chronic disease burden of NHB caregivers has implications for programs aiming to improve obesity-related outcomes for caregivers and recipients. Future research should investigate multilevel factors that contribute to observed differences.

Keywords: Black Americans; caregiving; chronic conditions; health behavior; obesity.