TY - JOUR AU - Fedewa, Michael V. AU - Das, Bhibha M. AU - Forehand, Ronald L. AU - Evans, Ellen M. PY - 2014 TI - Area-Level Socioeconomic Status, Adiposity, Physical Activity, and Inflammation in Young Adults, 2013 T2 - Preventing Chronic Disease JO - Prev Chronic Dis SP - E130 VL - 11 CY - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. N2 - INTRODUCTION We assessed the independent effects of socioeconomic status, sex, adiposity, and physical activity on C-reactive protein in young adults. METHODS During the fall semester of their first year, college students (n = 177; mean age, 18.1 y; 66.7% female; 65.5% white) were assessed for adiposity via dual x-ray absorptiometry, physical activity via accelerometer, and serum C-reactive protein. Area-level socioeconomic status was based on self-reported home zip code. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to assess the relationship of sex, adiposity, and physical activity on the dependent variable of C-reactive protein, with participants nested within geographic regions of similar socioeconomic characteristics. RESULTS C-reactive protein was positively associated with adiposity and inversely associated with socioeconomic status (both P < .05). Area-level socioeconomic status explained 28.2% of the variance in C-reactive protein. Adiposity was significantly associated with C-reactive protein in the full model (P = .006); physical activity was not associated with C-reactive protein (P = .48), and area-level socioeconomic status approached significance (P = .05) within the age range of our analysis after accounting for the variance explained by adiposity. CONCLUSION The significant positive association between adiposity and C-reactive protein suggests that young adults with higher adiposity have higher C-reactive protein levels after accounting for area-level socioeconomic status, sex, and physical activity. SN - 1545-1151 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd11.140090 DO - 10.5888/pcd11.140090 ER -