Abstract
Bates, L., Acevedo-Garcia, D., Alegría, M., & Krieger, N. (2008, January). Immigration and Generational Trends in Body Mass Index and Obesity in the United States: Results of the National Latino and Asian American Survey, 2002-2003.. American Journal of Public Health, 98(1), 70-77. Retrieved December 4, 2008, from Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition database
Purpose of the Study
We examined patterns of body mass index (BMI) and obesity among a nationally representative sample of first-, second-, and third-generation Latinos and Asian Americans to reveal associations with nativity or country of origin and to improve understanding of the distribution of BMI and obesity by ethnicity and generational status in the United States.
Methodology
Subjects: The final pooled, weighted sample was nationally representative and included 4649 respondents; 2554 Latinos and 2095 Asian Americans. After excluding those respondents without self report information and a BMI higher than 65kg/m2, the remaining sample was of 4556 people. We examined key characteristics and generational status for Latinos and Asian American separately, overall and by subgroup.
Test and Apparatus: We used data from the National Latino and Asian American Survey (2002-2003) to generate nationally representative estimates of mean BMI and obesity prevalence and explored changes in the distribution of BMI by generational status. Analysis tested the association between generational status and BMI and examined whether this association varied by ethnicity, education and gender. For the primary exposure of interest, generational status, respondents were considered first generation if they were not born in the main-land United States, Alaska or Hawaii; those born in Puerto Rico were classified as first generation even though they were US citizens by birth. The second generation comprised individuals born in the United States with at least 1 foreign-born parent. Third generation respondents...