Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 18, Issue 3, 2016, Pages 624-635

Duration of US Residence and Obesity Risk in NYC Chinese Immigrants (Article)

Afable A.* , Yeh M.-C. , Trivedi T. , Andrews E. , Wylie-Rosett J.
  • a Department of Community Health Sciences, SUNY Downstate School of Public Health, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Mail Stop Code 43, Brooklyn, NY 11203, United States
  • b Department of Community Health Sciences, SUNY Downstate School of Public Health, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Mail Stop Code 43, Brooklyn, NY 11203, United States
  • c Department of Community Health Sciences, SUNY Downstate School of Public Health, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Mail Stop Code 43, Brooklyn, NY 11203, United States
  • d Department of Community Health Sciences, SUNY Downstate School of Public Health, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Mail Stop Code 43, Brooklyn, NY 11203, United States
  • e Department of Community Health Sciences, SUNY Downstate School of Public Health, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Mail Stop Code 43, Brooklyn, NY 11203, United States

Abstract

We evaluated whether duration of time in the US is associated with obesity risk in NYC Chinese immigrants. We analyzed cross-sectional survey data on 2072 men and women. Duration of US residence was categorized into ≤5, 6–15, and 15 years and over. Obesity was defined using WHO Asian standards: BMI of 27.5 kg/m 2 or greater. Diet and physical activity (PA) were assessed as potential explanatory variables. After adjusting for covariates, increased time in the US was associated with an increased obesity risk (OR 1.49; 95 % CI 1.06, 2.08 for 15 years or more vs. ≤5 years); and in separate analysis, with having reported no work related PA (OR 0.76; 95 % CI 0.59, 0.99). Findings suggest that increased time living in the US is associated with an increased obesity risk, a finding possibly explained by a shift to more sedentary lifestyle characteristic of the transition of immigrants to the US. © 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Author Keywords

Chinese-origin Assimilation Obesity Acculturation

Index Keywords

China exercise human epidemiology sex difference middle aged Asian continental ancestry group statistics and numerical data obesity time factor diet Time Factors ethnology Cross-Sectional Studies cross-sectional study migrant Humans New York male Emigrants and Immigrants Acculturation Socioeconomic Factors female risk factor Risk Factors socioeconomics cultural factor adult New York City age Sex Factors Age Factors body mass Body Mass Index
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84929223250&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-015-0216-y&partnerID=40&md5=3f84293280a9948914379a1cee1bf43b
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-015-0216-y
ISSN: 15571912
Cited by: 6
Original Language: English