Publications by authors named "Maria Arorae"
Background/objective: Pacific children are at high obesity risk, yet the behavioral and environmental factors that contribute to obesity development in this setting remain poorly understood. We assessed associations between childhood risk factors for obesity with body mass index (BMI) trajectories between ages 2-9 years in Samoa.
Subjects/methods: In a prospective cohort of 485 children from 'Upolu, we measured weight and height at ages 2-4 (2015), 3.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the prevalence and risk factors for elevated glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and blood pressure (BP) in Pacific children aged 6-9 years, focusing on their body mass index (BMI) from ages 2 to 5 and BMI changes over time in Samoa.
- Out of 410 Samoan children examined, 12.90% had high HbA1c levels, and 33.17% showed elevated BP, with specific associations found between childhood BMI and these health indicators, particularly for males and females.
- The findings suggest that tracking BMI changes in childhood can help with early screening and prevention of cardiometabolic diseases in this vulnerable population.
Article Synopsis
- * This study utilizes Discrete Choice Experiments (DCE) to explore patient preferences and willingness-to-pay for diabetes care among Samoan adults, filling a gap in current research on these patient-centered factors.
- * The research involves a mixed methods design, including interviews and surveys, to gather data from 450 Samoan adults with diabetes, aiming to assess how care preferences evolve over time and identify key attributes that influence their choices in treatment.
Objectives: Despite the growing rates of global obesity and the known positive associations between brown adipose tissue (BAT) and cardiovascular health, little is known about the metabolic effects of BAT activity in Samoans, a population at high risk of obesity and type II diabetes. Here we assessed the potential effects of inferred BAT activity on metabolic health markers in Samoan adults exposed to mild cold.
Methods: Using point-of-care finger prick technology we measured fasting glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels before and after 30 min of cold exposure among 61 individuals (38 females, 23 males, ages 31-54) from 'Upolu Island, Samoa.
Objectives: Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a heat-producing organ aiding nonshivering thermogenesis (NST) during cold stress. Due to its potential cold-adaptive role BAT has been predominantly studied in cold and temperate climate populations, but not among warm-climate adults. This work explores if BAT activity can be inferred in Samoans.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Globally, rapid economic development, urbanisation, and nutrition transitions have led to rising levels of malnutrition in all forms.
Aim: The study objective was to document the prevalence of overweight/obesity, underweight, stunting, and anaemia among Samoan children in 2019-2020.
Subjects And Methods: Children from the "Growing Up" in Samoa study at ages 5-11 years with complete physical assessments were included.