--- title: "Research strategies: reduce disparities in obesity, | Sutter Health" description: "Current obesity management and prevention research priorities will not maximally impact this critical problem unless investigators explicitly focus on discovering innovative strategies for preventing and managing obesity in the disadvantaged populations that are most affected." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/research-strategies-reduce-disparities-in-obesity-1055312894" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Research](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research) / 3. [Research publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications) / 4. Research strategies: reduce disparities in obesity, # Practical research strategies for reducing social and racial/ethnic disparities in obesity. Rosas LG & Stafford RS. _Int J Obes (Lond). (2):s16-s22_ 2012-07-01 ## Abstract Adult and childhood obesity and related adverse outcomes are most common among racial/ethnic minorities and socio-economically disadvantaged populations in the United States. Research approaches to obesity developed in mainstream populations and deploying new information technologies may exacerbate existing disparities in obesity. Current obesity management and prevention research priorities will not maximally impact this critical problem unless investigators explicitly focus on discovering innovative strategies for preventing and managing obesity in the disadvantaged populations that are most affected. On the basis of our research experience, four key research approaches are needed: (1) elucidating the underlying social forces that lead to disparities; (2) directly involving community members in the development of research questions and research methods; (3) developing flexible strategies that allow tailoring to multiple disadvantaged populations; and (4) building culturally and socio-economically tailored strategies specifically for populations most affected by obesity. Our experience with a community-based longitudinal cohort study and two health center-based clinical trials illustrate these principles as a contrast to traditional research priorities that can inadvertently worsen existing social inequities. If obesity research does not directly address healthcare and health-outcome disparities, it will contribute to their perpetuation. [PubMed abstract](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23667289) ## Research topics - [Health Disparities](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Health+Disparities%5C%22%22) - [Obesity](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Obesity%5C%22%22) ## Related publications [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) - Publication ### [Acculturation and overweight-related attitudes and behavior among obese Hispanic adults in the United States](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/attitudes-behavior-among-obese-hispanic-adults-1055312606) New C, Xiao L, Ma J. Obesity (Silver Spring). doi: 10.1002/oby.20146. 2012 Nov 06 - Publication ### [Evaluating two lifestyle interventions for obesity reduction in a low-income Latino neighborhood: Vivamos Activos Fair Oaks Program](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/lifestyle-interventions-obesity-low-income-latino-1055312679) Drieling RL, Ma J, Stafford RS. BMC Public Health. 11:98. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-98. 2011 Feb 14 - Publication ### [Variations between obese Latinos and Whites in weight-related counseling during preventive clinical visits in the U.S.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/obese-latinos-whites-weight-related-counseling-1055312591) Ma J, Xiao L, Yank V. Obesity (Silver Spring). 21(8):1734-41. doi: 10.1002/oby.20285. Epub 2013 May 21. 2013 Aug 01 - Publication ### [Obesity and depression in US women: results from the 2005–2006 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/obesity-depression-women-2005-2006-nhnes-1055312870) Ma J, Xiao L. Obesity. 18(2):347–353. 2010 Feb 01 - Publication ### [Weight counseling for elderly patients in primary care: how often and how much time.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/wt-counseling-elders-primary-care-1055312562) Tai-Seale T, Tai-Seale M, Zhang W. J Health Human Serv Adm. 30(4):420-440. 2008 Apr 01 [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/research-strategies-reduce-disparities-in-obesity-1055312894#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Research","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Research publications","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Research strategies: reduce disparities in obesity,"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalScholarlyArticle","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/research-strategies-reduce-disparities-in-obesity-1055312894#medicalscholarlyarticle","name":"Practical research strategies for reducing social and racial/ethnic disparities in obesity.","headline":"Research strategies: reduce disparities in obesity,","abstract":"Adult and childhood obesity and related adverse outcomes are most common among racial/ethnic minorities and socio-economically disadvantaged populations in the United States. 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