Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Volume 20, Issue 1, 2009, Pages 246-256

Overweight among refugee children after arrival in the United States (Article)

Hervey K.* , Vargas D. , Klesges L. , Fischer P.R. , Trippel S. , Juhn Y.J.
  • a Oregon Health Sciences Center, United States
  • b Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, United States
  • c Department of Epidemiology and Cancer Control, St. Jude Children Research Center
  • d Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, United States
  • e Department of Preventive Medicine, Mayo Clinic, United States
  • f Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, United States

Abstract

We determined the impact of 69 African refugee children's arrival age and weight on subsequent weight gain by following BMI of refugee children. During 6-24 months after arrival in the U.S., 57% of underweight children became normal weight, whereas only 2% of normal weight children moved to the next higher weight category (p<.001). Children with overweight or those at-risk for overweight on arrival were more likely to be overweight on follow-up than were children who were not at risk or overweight on arrival (OR 18.9, 95% CI 3.2-112) Despite the tendency of catch-up weight gain of children underweight at arrival, BMI at arrival did not predict the slope of BMI change over time. Children who are overweight at arrival are more likely to remain at risk of overweight. The younger cohort experienced an increase in BMI at a slower rate than the older cohorts.

Author Keywords

Obesity child Refugees Body mass index overweight

Index Keywords

refugee human sex difference Refugees Overweight obesity ethnology United States Humans Adolescent male preschool child Socioeconomic Factors female risk factor Risk Factors Child, Preschool Africa socioeconomics Article age Sex Factors Age Factors body mass Body Mass Index weight gain Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-63249127703&doi=10.1353%2fhpu.0.0118&partnerID=40&md5=1db2fa2102695066b96d3d3826478fd0
DOI: 10.1353/hpu.0.0118
ISSN: 10492089
Cited by: 12
Original Language: English