PSYCHOSOCIAL CORRELATES OF BODY-FAT DISTRIBUTION IN BLACK-AND-WHITE YOUNG-ADULTS

We examined the association of fat distribution with a number of perso nality attributes and behaviours in a sample of 5115 young blacks and whites. Body fat distribution, measured by the ratio of waist-to-hip c ircumferences (WHR), was significantly and positively associated with cigarette smoking and negatively associated with education in all of t he race and sex groups. WHR was positively associated with alcohol con sumption in men and black women and with marijuana use in women. A num ber of psychosocial factors assessing personality attributes and behav iours were also examined, including the Cook-Medley hostility score, t ype A/B behaviour pattern, life events, social support, financial situ ation, and diagnosis of a nervous, emotional or mental disorder. In ag e- and BMI-adjusted analyses, only the Cook-Medley hostility score and a financial situation score were significantly and positively associa ted with WHR in all race and sex groups. In multivariate linear regres sion, these psychosocial factors were associated with WHR in some of t he race and sex groups, accounting for less than 1% of the variation i n WHR in any one group. These results suggest that fat distribution is weakly associated with these personality attributes and behaviours.