WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT: Youth with ADHD may be at increased risk for obesity. Medications used to treat ADHD can affect weight. Few studies have investigated possible gender differences in associations between ADHD and obesity. WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: Nationally representative of US youth aged 8-15 years. Height and weight were measured, and ADHD assessed by structured diagnostic interview and parent report. Associations between ADHD and obesity are reported for males and females to enable gender comparisons. OBJECTIVE: To investigate how associations between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obesity differ by gender and medication use in a nationally representative sample of US youth in which height and weight were measured. METHODS: Youth age 8-15 (n = 3050) studied in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2004. Obesity was defined as >/=95th percentile of US body mass index-for-age reference. ADHD was determined by asking parents if child had been diagnosed and using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children IV. Gender-stratified multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate odds of obesity for youth with ADHD (medicated and unmedicated) relative to youth without ADHD. RESULTS: Males with ADHD who were medicated had lower odds of obesity compared to males without ADHD (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.23-0.78). Unmedicated males with ADHD were as likely as males without ADHD to be obese (adjusted OR = 1.02, 95% CI = 0.43-2.42). The odds of obesity for females taking medication for ADHD did not differ statistically from those of females without ADHD (adjusted OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 0.52-2.81). Females with ADHD not taking medication had odds of obesity 1.54 times those of females without ADHD; however, the 95% CI (0.79-2.98) was wide and not statistically significant at alpha = 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: Associations between ADHD and obesity are influenced by treatment of ADHD with medication and may differ by gender. Youth with ADHD who are not treated with medication are as or more likely than youth without ADHD to be obese. the Study of Obesity.

Background Twelve percent of U.S. adults live in food insecure households, putting them at risk for adverse health outcomes. Relationships between food insecurity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors range from well-established to inconsistent and understudied. Food insecurity has been positively associated with poor glycemic control, tobacco use, and poor diet. The link with unhealthy body mass index (BMI) is only observed among women. Inconsistent evidence of relationships with hypertension and dyslipidemia has been found and literature examining physical activity is sparse. The relationships between food insecurity and overall cardiovascular health metrics have not been studied in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults. Objective To quantify the extent to which food insecurity in U.S. adults is associated with poorer cardiovascular health, as measured by the Life Simple 7 metrics, and to assess gender differences in these associations. Methods This was a cross-sectional analysis of 1,446 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants (2011-2012) aged >20 years. The United States Department of Agriculture Adult Food Security Module 10-item questionnaire assessed food insecurity status. Affirmative responses were summed and dichotomized as food secure (responses) or food insecure (>3). An ideal cardiovascular health score was generated from the sum of American Heart Association’s (AHA) Life’s Simple 7 metrics components achieved. The metrics included three health factors (blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure) and four health behaviors (non-smoking, physical activity, healthy BMI, and healthy diet) as measured by laboratory values, anthropometric measures, self-reported questionnaires, and dietary recalls. Multiple linear and logistic regressions determined the associations between food insecurity and overall ideal cardiovascular health, defined as meeting all of the AHA Life Simple 7 metrics, and individual cardiovascular health components, respectively. The interaction between food insecurity and gender and ideal cardiovascular health was tested. Results No U.S. adults met all ideal cardiovascular health components. The 15.8% of adults living in food insecure households achieved a lower ideal cardiovascular health score (adjusted β coefficient: -0.27; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): [-0.50 to -0.04]) than adults living in food secure households. Tests for gender interaction were non-significant. In analyses assessing individual cardiovascular health components, only smoking was significant; adults living in food insecure households were half as likely to be non-smokers or recent quitters relative to their food secure counterparts (adjusted Odds Ratio 0.51; 95% CI: [0.31-0.81]). Conclusion Adults living in food insecure households achieved a lower ideal cardiovascular health score, which was driven by its association with smoking status. In addition to primary and secondary prevention, primordial prevention and cardiovascular health promotion approaches are necessary to reduce CVD burden. Effective policies and health behavior interventions are prudent, specifically to improve diet quality among all U.S. adults and tobacco cessation within food insecure populations.