Overweight among international adoptees in Sweden: a population‐based study

Abstract

This study investigated the prevalence of overweight [body mass index (BMI) ± 25 kg m‐2] in young adulthood among international adoptees. The prevalence of overweight among adoptees from various countries of origin was compared with that in a large group of non‐adopted individuals. All 275026 young men born in 1973–1977 and living in Sweden at 17y of age were included. A record linkage was made between the Military Service Conscription Register and several population registers. Data on BMI at 18 y of age were obtained from military conscription examinations conducted in 1991–1995. BMI was missing for 12.7% of 2400 adoptees and 10.8% of 263173 non‐adoptees. Among 623 adoptees from Latin America 21.5% (95% confidence interval 18.3–24.7) were overweight, with a particularly high prevalence of overweight among the 266 adoptees from Chile (28.6%, 23.1–34.0). Among 502 adoptees from the Indian subcontinent 8.4% (5.9–10.8) were overweight and the prevalence of overweight was 8.8% (5.7–12.0) among 317 adoptees from India. Among 817 adoptees from the Far East 12.0% (9.8–14.2) were overweight and the prevalence of overweight was 10.9% (7.9–13.9) among 404 from South Korea. The corresponding figure was 14.1% (14.0–14.2) among the non‐adopted individuals. Conclusion: These differences in prevalence of overweight between various groups of adoptees and between adopted and non‐adopted subjects are remarkable and are probably due to diversity in genetic susceptibility to overweight.