2024
A group prenatal care intervention reduces gestational weight gain and gestational diabetes in American Samoan women
Hawley N, Faasalele‐Savusa K, Faiai M, Suiaunoa‐Scanlan L, Loia M, Ickovics J, Kocher E, Piel C, Mahoney M, Suss R, Trocha M, Rosen R, Muasau‐Howard B. A group prenatal care intervention reduces gestational weight gain and gestational diabetes in American Samoan women. Obesity 2024, 32: 1833-1843. PMID: 39256170, DOI: 10.1002/oby.24102.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsGestational weight gainPostpartum weight changeGestational diabetes screeningClinically important between-group differenceDiabetes screeningGestational diabetesUsual care participantsPrenatal care interventionsMode of birthLow-risk pregnant womenPre-pregnancy obesityAmerican Samoan womenIncidence of gestational diabetesProportion of womenGestational diabetes incidenceInfant birth weightWeight gainBetween-group differencesCare interventionsCare participantsPreliminary effectivenessWeight changeRandom group assignmentDiabetes incidenceHigh-risk settings
2023
Prediction of fat mass from anthropometry at ages 7 to 9 years in Samoans: a cross-sectional study in the Ola Tuputupua’e cohort
Choy C, Johnson W, Duckham R, Naseri T, Soti-Ulberg C, Reupena M, Braun J, McGarvey S, Hawley N. Prediction of fat mass from anthropometry at ages 7 to 9 years in Samoans: a cross-sectional study in the Ola Tuputupua’e cohort. European Journal Of Clinical Nutrition 2023, 77: 495-502. PMID: 36624192, PMCID: PMC7614464, DOI: 10.1038/s41430-022-01256-6.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFat massSex-specific prediction modelsCross-sectional studyAge 7 yearsHigh-risk settingsFuture obesity preventionModel development sampleSamoan childrenObesity prevalenceObesity preventionBody fatHigh riskSex-specific modelsBland-Altman limitsSubscapularSubstantial concordanceAge 7Pacific IslandersChildrenDXADevelopment samplePreventionConcordanceYearsValidation sample
2022
Validity of anthropometric equation‐based estimators of fat mass in Samoan adults
Heinsberg L, Hawley N, Duckham R, Pomer A, Rivara A, Naseri T, Reupena M, Weeks D, McGarvey S, Minster R. Validity of anthropometric equation‐based estimators of fat mass in Samoan adults. American Journal Of Human Biology 2022, 35: e23838. PMID: 36428275, PMCID: PMC10023273, DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23838.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchMultivariate analysis of a missense variant in CREBRF reveals associations with measures of adiposity in people of Polynesian ancestries
Zhang J, Heinsberg L, Krishnan M, Hawley N, Major T, Carlson J, Hindmarsh J, Watson H, Qasim M, Stamp L, Dalbeth N, Murphy R, Sun G, Cheng H, Naseri T, Reupena M, Kershaw E, Deka R, McGarvey S, Minster R, Merriman T, Weeks D. Multivariate analysis of a missense variant in CREBRF reveals associations with measures of adiposity in people of Polynesian ancestries. Genetic Epidemiology 2022, 47: 105-118. PMID: 36352773, PMCID: PMC9892232, DOI: 10.1002/gepi.22508.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchThe protective effect of rs373863828 on type 2 diabetes does not operate through a body composition pathway in adult Samoans
Hawley NL, Duckham RL, Carlson JC, Naseri T, Reupena MS, Lameko V, Pomer A, Wetzel A, Selu M, Lupematisila V, Unasa F, Vesi L, Fatu T, Unasa S, Faasalele‐Savusa K, Rivara AC, Russell E, Delany JP, Viali S, Kershaw EE, Minster RL, Weeks DE, McGarvey ST. The protective effect of rs373863828 on type 2 diabetes does not operate through a body composition pathway in adult Samoans. Obesity 2022, 30: 2468-2476. PMID: 36284436, PMCID: PMC10111239, DOI: 10.1002/oby.23559.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFat-free massType 2 diabetesFat distributionProtective effectBody compositionFavorable body fat distributionDual-energy X-ray absorptiometry-derived body compositionBody fat distributionGreater fat-free massPercent body fatBody size/compositionAssociation of genotypesRs373863828 genotypeVisceral adiposityHigher BMIAdult SamoansRole of fatGreater BMILean massBody fatLower oddsParadoxical associationTissue-specific mechanismsA alleleDiabetesThe missense variant, rs373863828, in CREBRF plays a role in longitudinal changes in body mass index in Samoans
Fu H, Hawley NL, Carlson JC, Russell EM, Pomer A, Cheng H, Naseri T, Reupena M, Deka R, Choy CC, McGarvey ST, Minster RL, Weeks DE. The missense variant, rs373863828, in CREBRF plays a role in longitudinal changes in body mass index in Samoans. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice 2022, 16: 220-227. PMID: 35606300, PMCID: PMC9373717, DOI: 10.1016/j.orcp.2022.04.004.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsBMI rateHousehold asset scoreAA genotypeBody mass indexMissense variantsBMI of femalesSex-stratified modelsHigh rateAG participantsBaseline BMIMean BMICohort studyMass indexSamoan adultsPhysical activityGG genotypeBMIAge groupsA alleleLongitudinal changesAsset scoreRs373863828Older participantsFemalesCREBRFIs overweight or obesity associated with anemia in children? Follow-up of Samoans in the Ola Tuputupua’e “Growing Up” study
Choy CC, Howe CJ, Soti-Ulberg C, Naseri T, Reupena MS, Duckham RL, Hawley NL. Is overweight or obesity associated with anemia in children? Follow-up of Samoans in the Ola Tuputupua’e “Growing Up” study. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice 2022, 16: 144-150. PMID: 35256305, PMCID: PMC9636893, DOI: 10.1016/j.orcp.2022.02.008.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOverweight/obesityObesity-related inflammationPrevalence ratiosIron deficiencyDouble burdenPrevalence of anemiaBody mass indexAge z-scorePoisson regression modelsCohort studyMass indexSamoan childrenHigh prevalenceObesityAnemiaZ-scoreCovariate adjustmentConfidence intervalsMicronutrient deficienciesInflammationChildrenPrevalenceFurther investigationRegression modelsDeficiency
2021
A murine model of the human CREBRFR457Q obesity-risk variant does not influence energy or glucose homeostasis in response to nutritional stress
Kanshana JS, Mattila PE, Ewing MC, Wood AN, Schoiswohl G, Meyer AC, Kowalski A, Rosenthal SL, Gingras S, Kaufman BA, Lu R, Weeks DE, McGarvey ST, Minster RL, Hawley NL, Kershaw EE. A murine model of the human CREBRFR457Q obesity-risk variant does not influence energy or glucose homeostasis in response to nutritional stress. PLOS ONE 2021, 16: e0251895. PMID: 34520472, PMCID: PMC8439463, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251895.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsMurine modelGlucose homeostasisEnergy/glucose homeostasisOdds of diabetesOdds of obesityObesity risk variantsAlternative preclinical modelsPromotes obesityPreclinical modelsKnockin miceObesityDiabetesStrong heritable componentExtensive phenotypic analysisMissense variantsOrthologous variantDiseaseMiceOddsAdaptive transcriptional responseExtreme nutritional stressNutritional stressHomeostasisGenetic contributionRegulatory factorsC‐reactive protein in adult Samoans: Population variation and physiological correlates
Rivara AC, Corley M, Choy CC, Duckham RL, Pomer A, Reupena MS, Viali S, Naseri T, Kershaw EE, Crouter SE, McGarvey ST, Bribiescas RG, Valeggia C, Hawley NL. C‐reactive protein in adult Samoans: Population variation and physiological correlates. American Journal Of Human Biology 2021, 34: e23646. PMID: 34260111, PMCID: PMC8758804, DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23646.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsC-reactive proteinBody mass indexCardiometabolic disease riskMeasures of adiposityAdult SamoansCRP correlateDisease riskSerum C-reactive proteinMeasures of BMICardiometabolic risk markersPercent body fatSex-dependent associationsCardiometabolic markersCardiometabolic riskCRP quartileMass indexUnadjusted analysesRisk markersBody fatKruskal-Wallis testAdiposityPacific Islander populationsSpearman rank correlationFirst examinationRank correlation
2017
Conceptions of pregnancy health and motivations for healthful behavior change among women in American Samoa
Kocher EL, Lamb J, McGarvey ST, Faiai M, Muasau-Howard BT, Hawley NL. Conceptions of pregnancy health and motivations for healthful behavior change among women in American Samoa. Women And Birth 2017, 31: e32-e41. PMID: 28662836, DOI: 10.1016/j.wombi.2017.06.011.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsNon-communicable diseasesAmerican Samoan womenBehavior changeHealthful behavior changeObesity-related non-communicable diseasesHealth behavior interventionsPre-contemplative stagePregnancy healthBehaviour change interventionsPregnancyEfficacious interventionsHealthy behaviorsHealthful behaviorsBalanced dietWomenSamoan womenChange interventionsInterventionBehavior interventionsBabiesHealthSocial supportIdeal timeProtective treatmentThematic analysis
2016
A thrifty variant in CREBRF strongly influences body mass index in Samoans
Minster RL, Hawley NL, Su CT, Sun G, Kershaw EE, Cheng H, Buhule OD, Lin J, Reupena MS, Viali S, Tuitele J, Naseri T, Urban Z, Deka R, Weeks DE, McGarvey ST. A thrifty variant in CREBRF strongly influences body mass index in Samoans. Nature Genetics 2016, 48: 1049-1054. PMID: 27455349, PMCID: PMC5069069, DOI: 10.1038/ng.3620.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2015
Obesity and Diabetes in Pacific Islanders: the Current Burden and the Need for Urgent Action
Hawley NL, McGarvey ST. Obesity and Diabetes in Pacific Islanders: the Current Burden and the Need for Urgent Action. Current Diabetes Reports 2015, 15: 29. PMID: 25809458, DOI: 10.1007/s11892-015-0594-5.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2014
Epigenetic patterns in successful weight loss maintainers: a pilot study
Huang Y, Maccani J, Hawley N, Wing R, Kelsey K, McCaffery J. Epigenetic patterns in successful weight loss maintainers: a pilot study. International Journal Of Obesity 2014, 39: 865-868. PMID: 25520250, PMCID: PMC4422763, DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2014.213.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsOB individualsSuccessful weight loss maintainersBrain-derived neurotrophic factorBehavioral weight loss interventionWeight loss maintainersWeight loss interventionMyelin protein zeroLoss interventionNormal weightNeurotrophic factorObese individualsRyanodine receptor 1Weight statusAnimal modelsCalorie restrictionReceptor 1NW individualsPilot studyWeight lossProtein zeroMethylation patternsEpigenome-wide analysisHuman subjectsEpigenetic patternsDNA methylation changes