Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 16, Issue 3, 2014, Pages 457-465

Baseline socio-demographic characteristics and self-reported diet and physical activity shifts among recent immigrants participating in the randomized controlled lifestyle intervention: "Live Well" (Article)

Tovar A.* , Boulos R. , Sliwa S. , Must A. , Gute D.M. , Metayer N. , Hyatt R.R. , Chui K. , Pirie A. , Luongo C.K. , Economos C.
  • a Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Rhode Island, 112 Ranger Hall, Kingston, RI 02881, United States
  • b John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention, Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, 150 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, United States
  • c John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention, Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, 150 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, United States
  • d John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention, Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, 150 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, United States, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, United States
  • e Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, Tufts University, 200 College Avenue, Medford, MA 02155, United States
  • f John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention, Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, 150 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, United States
  • g Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, United States
  • h Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University, 136 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, United States
  • i Immigrant Service Providers Group/Health, C/o Somerville Community Corporation, 337 Somerville Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143, United States
  • j John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention, Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, 150 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, United States
  • k John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention, Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, 150 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02111, United States

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to describe the baseline characteristics of Live Well (intervention to prevent weight gain in recent immigrant mother-child dyads from Brazil, Haiti, and Latin America) participants, and to explore self-reported changes in diet and physical activity post-immigration. Baseline data from 383 mothers were used for this study. Dyads attended a measurement day where they completed self-administered surveys collecting information about socio-demographics, diet, physical activity, other psychosocial variables, and height and weight. Haitian mothers' socio-demographic profile differed significantly from that of Brazilians' and Latinas': they have been in the US for a shorter period of time, have higher rates of unemployment, are less likely to be married, more likely to have ≥3 children, more likely to be obese, and have immigrated for family or other reasons. In multivariate models, self-reported changes in diet and physical activity since migrating to the US were significantly associated with BMI with non-linear relationships identified. Future research is needed to understand how diet and physical activity change while acculturating to the US and explore the adoption of both healthy and unhealthy dietary changes.

Author Keywords

Changes in dietary and physical activity immigrants Obesity Acculturation

Index Keywords

lifestyle Life Style health promotion physiology human sex difference Self Report Ethnic Groups statistics and numerical data ethnic group obesity controlled study diet feeding behavior randomized controlled trial comparative study ethnology Hispanic Americans Surveys and Questionnaires Haiti United States Humans migrant Hispanic male Emigrants and Immigrants Acculturation Socioeconomic Factors female socioeconomics questionnaire cultural factor organization and management adult age patient participation Sex Factors Age Factors Motor Activity Brazil
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84904738431&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-013-9778-8&partnerID=40&md5=866a3908cdad10aba19f5472d3c50900
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-013-9778-8
ISSN: 15571912
Cited by: 9
Original Language: English