Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Duration of US Residence and Obesity Risk in NYC Chinese Immigrants

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

An Erratum to this article was published on 01 October 2016

This article has been updated

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/m2 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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Change history

References

  1. Sturm R, Hattori A. Morbid obesity rates continue to rise rapidly in the United States. Int J Obes. 2013;37(6):889–91.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM. Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011–2012. JAMA. 2014;311(8):806–14.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Gu D, Reynolds K, Wu X, et al. Prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and overweight among adults in China. Lancet. 2005;365(9468):1398–405.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Wang Y, Mi J, Shan XY, Wang QJ, Ge KY. Is China facing an obesity epidemic and the consequences? The trends in obesity and chronic disease in China. Int J Obes (Lond). 2007;31(1):177–88.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ramachandran A, Ma RC, Snehalatha C. Diabetes in Asia. Lancet. 2010;375(9712):408–18.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Hou X, Liu Y, Lu H, et al. Ten-year changes in the prevalence of overweight, obesity and central obesity among the Chinese adults in urban Shanghai, 1998–2007—comparison of two cross-sectional surveys. BMC Public Health. 2013;13(1):1064.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Du T, Sun X, Yin P, Huo R, Ni C, Yu X. Increasing trends in central obesity among Chinese adults with normal body mass index, 1993–2009. BMC Public Health. 2013;13(1):327.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  8. Chan JC, Malik V, Jia W, et al. Diabetes in Asia: epidemiology, risk factors, and pathophysiology. JAMA. 2009;301(20):2129–40.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Rtveladze K, Marsh T, Barquera S, et al. Obesity prevalence in Mexico: impact on health and economic burden. Public Health Nutr. 2014;17(01):233–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Ramachandran A, Snehalatha C, Shetty AS, Nanditha A. Trends in prevalence of diabetes in Asian countries. World J Diabetes. 2012;3(6):110.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Villalpando S, Rojas R, Shamah-Levy T, et al. Prevalence and distribution of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Mexican adult population: a probabilistic survey. Salud Publica Mex. 2010;52(Suppl 1):S19–26.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Yang SH, Dou KF, Song WJ. Prevalence of diabetes among men and women in China. N Engl J Med. 2010;362(25):2425–6 author reply 2426.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Soria ML, Sy RG, Vega BS, et al. The incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Philippines: a 9-year cohort study. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2009;86(2):130–3.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Malone N, Baluja K, Costanzo J, Davis C. The foreign-born population: 2000. US Census Bureau; 2003.

  15. Walters NP, Trevelyan EN. The newly arrived foreign-born population of the United States: 2010. US Census Bureau; 2011.

  16. Markides KS, Gerst K. Immigration, aging, and health in the United States. Handbook of sociology of aging. New York: Springer; 2011. p. 103–16.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  17. Markides KS. Migration and health. In: Smelser NJ, Baltes B, editors. International encyclopedia of the social and behavioral sciences. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 2001. p. 799–803.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Markides KS, Coreil J. The health of Hispanics in the southwestern United States: an epidemiologic paradox. Public Health Rep. 1986;101(3):253–65.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Singh GK, Siahpush M. Ethnic-immigrant differentials in health behaviors, morbidity, and cause-specific mortality in the United States: an analysis of two national data bases. Hum Biol. 2002;74(1):83–109.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Marmot MG, Adelstein AM, Bulusu L. Lessons from the study of immigrant mortality. Lancet. 1984;1(8392):1455–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Cattell V. Poor people, poor places, and poor health: the mediating role of social networks and social capital. Soc Sci Med. 2001;52(10):1501–16.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Kawachi I, Berkman L. Social cohesion, social capital, and health. In: Berkman L, Kawachi I, editors. Social epidemiology. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2000. p. 174–90.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Antecol H, Bedard K. Unhealthy assimilation: do immigrants converge to American health status levels? Demography. 2006;43(2):337–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Oza-Frank R, Cunningham SA. The weight of US residence among immigrants: a systematic review. Obes Rev. 2010;11(4):271–80.

  25. Ayala GX, Baquero B, Klinger S. A systematic review of the relationship between acculturation and diet among Latinos in the United States: implications for future research. J Am Diet Assoc. 2008;108(8):1330–44.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  26. Afable-Munsuz A, Ponce N, Perez-Stable E, Rodriguez M. Immigrant generation and physical activity among Mexican, Chinese and Filipino adults in the US. Soc Sci Med. 2010;70(12):1997–2005.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  27. Rajpathak SN, Wylie-Rosett J. High prevalence of diabetes and impaired fasting glucose among Chinese immigrants in New York City. J Immigr Minor Health. 2011;13(1):181–3.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  28. Bharmal N, Kaplan RM, Shapiro MF, et al. The association of duration of residence in the United States with cardiovascular disease risk factors among South Asian immigrants. J Immigr Minor Health. 2014;1–10. doi:10.1007/s10903-013-9973-7.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  29. Daouli J, Davillas A, Demoussis M, Giannakopoulos N. Obesity persistence and duration dependence: evidence from a cohort of US adults (1985–2010). Econ Hum Biol. 2014;12:30–44.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Roshania R, Narayan KM, Oza-Frank R. Age at arrival and risk of obesity among US immigrants. Obesity. 2008;16(12):2669–75.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Bates LM, Acevedo-Garcia D, Alegria M, Krieger N. 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. Am J Public Health. 2008;98(1):70–7.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  32. Yeh MC, Fahs M, Shelley D, Yerneni R, Parikh NS, Burton D. Body weight and length of residence in the US among Chinese Americans. J Immigr Minor Health. 2009;11(5):422–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. US Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2000 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table DP-1, Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000; using American FactFinder; http://factfinder2.census.gov (24 Feb 2015).

  34. US Census Bureau; Demographic Characteristics—New York City 1990 and 2000 Census; 2000 Census SF1, 1990 Census STF1, STF4; http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/census/demonyc.pdf (24 Feb 2015).

  35. Hoeffel EM, Rastogi S, Kim MO, Shahid H. The asian population: 2010. US Census Bureau; 2012.

  36. Fujimoto WY, Bergstrom RW, Boyko EJ, et al. Diabetes and diabetes risk factors in second- and third-generation Japanese Americans in Seattle, Washington. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 1994;24(Suppl):S43–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Kawate R, Yamakido M, Nishimoto Y, Bennett PH, Hamman RF, Knowler WC. Diabetes mellitus and its vascular complications in Japanese migrants on the Island of Hawaii. Diabetes Care. 1979;2(2):161–70.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Popkin BM, Gordon-Larsen P. The nutrition transition: worldwide obesity dynamics and their determinants. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2004;28(Suppl 3):S2–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Institute K. International Physical Activity Questionnaires (IPAQ). 2002. https://sites.google.com/site/theipaq/questionnaire_links. Accessed 24 May 2014.

  40. Tseng M, Hernández T. Comparison of intakes of US Chinese women based on food frequency and 24-hour recall data. J Am Diet Assoc. 2005;105(7):1145–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Who EC. Appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies. Lancet. 2004;363(9403):157.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Cleland CL, Hunter RF, Kee F, Cupples ME, Sallis JF, Tully MA. Validity of the global physical activity questionnaire (GPAQ) in assessing levels and change in moderate-vigorous physical activity and sedentary behaviour. BMC Public Health. 2014;14:1255.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  43. Oza-Frank R, Stephenson R, Venkat Narayan KM. Diabetes prevalence by length of residence among US immigrants. J Immigr Minor Health. 2011;13(1):1–8. doi:10.1007/s10903-009-9283-2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Kelly T, Yang W, Chen CS, Reynolds K, He J. Global burden of obesity in 2005 and projections to 2030. Int J Obes (Lond). 2008;32(9):1431–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Shaw JE, Sicree RA, Zimmet PZ. Global estimates of the prevalence of diabetes for 2010 and 2030. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2010;87(1):4–14.

  46. Kutty VR, Soman CR, Joseph A, Pisharody R, Vijayakumar K. Type 2 diabetes in southern Kerala: variation in prevalence among geographic divisions within a region. Natl Med J India. 2000;13(6):287–92.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Misra A, Ganda OP. Migration and its impact on adiposity and type 2 diabetes. Nutrition. 2007;23(9):696–708.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  48. US Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2010 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Table S0201, Selected Population Profile in the United States; generated by Erin Andrews; using American FactFinder; http://factfinder2.census.gov. (24 Feb 2015).

  49. US Census Bureau; American Community Survey, 2010 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Tables B5003 B15001 B23001; generated by Erin Andrews; using American FactFinder; http://factfinder2.census.gov; (24 Feb 2015).

  50. Baron RM, Kenny DA. The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1986;51(6):1173–82.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  51. Jasso G, Massey DS, Rosenzweig MR, Smith JP. The New Immigrant Survey Pilot (NIS-P): overview and new findings about US legal immigrants at admission. Demography. 2000;37(1):127–38.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Ullmann SH, Goldman N, Massey DS. Healthier before they migrate, less healthy when they return? The health of returned migrants in Mexico. Soc Sci Med. 2011;73(3):421–8.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  53. Lyngdoh T, Kinra S, Shlomo YB, et al. Sib-recruitment for studying migration and its impact on obesity and diabetes. Emerg Themes Epidemiol. 2006;3:2.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  54. Giskes K, van Lenthe F, Avendano-Pabon M, Brug J. A systematic review of environmental factors and obesogenic dietary intakes among adults: are we getting closer to understanding obesogenic environments? Obes Rev. 2010;12(5):e95–e106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  55. Sallis JF, Bowles HR, Bauman A, et al. Neighborhood environments and physical activity among adults in 11 countries. Am J Prev Med. 2009;36(6):484–90.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Auchincloss AH, Diez Roux AV, Mujahid MS, Shen M, Bertoni AG, Carnethon MR. Neighborhood resources for physical activity and healthy foods and incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus: the Multi-Ethnic study of Atherosclerosis. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(18):1698–704.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  57. Lopez RP, Hynes HP. Obesity, physical activity, and the urban environment: public health research needs. Environ Health. 2006;5(1):25.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  58. Humpel N, Owen N, Leslie E. Environmental factors associated with adults’ participation in physical activity: a review. Am J Prev Med. 2002;22(3):188–99.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  59. Brownson RC, Chang JJ, Eyler AA, et al. Measuring the environment for friendliness toward physical activity: a comparison of the reliability of 3 questionnaires. Am J Public Health. 2004;94(3):473.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  60. Seefeldt V, Malina RM, Clark MA. Factors affecting levels of physical activity in adults. Sports Med. 2002;32(3):143–68.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  61. Mainous AG 3rd, Majeed A, Koopman RJ, et al. Acculturation and diabetes among Hispanics: evidence from the 1999–2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Public Health Rep. 2006;121(1):60–6.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  62. Ahmed AT, Quinn VP, Caan B, Sternfeld B, Haque R, Van Den Eeden SK. Generational status and duration of residence predict diabetes prevalence among Latinos: the California Men’s Health Study. BMC Public Health. 2009;9:392.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  63. Lara M, Gamboa C, Kahramanian M, Morales L, Bautista D. Acculturation and Latino Health in the Unites States: a review of the literature and its sociopolitical context. Annu Rev Public Health. 2005;26:367–97.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  64. Hazuda HP, Haffner SM, Stern MP, Eifler CW. Effects of acculturation and socioeconomic status on obesity and diabetes in Mexican Americans. The San Antonio Heart Study. Am J Epidemiol. 1988;128(6):1289–301.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  65. Kandula NR, Diez-Roux AV, Chan C, et al. Association of acculturation levels and prevalence of diabetes in the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA). Diabetes Care. 2008;31(8):1621–8.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  66. Portes A, Zhou M. The new second generation: segmented assimilation and its variants. Ann Am Acad. 1993;530 (Nov 1990):74–96.

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by funding from the American Heart Association and NIH Grants R01HL077809, UL1 RR025750 and P60 DK020541.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Health Sciences, SUNY Downstate School of Public Health, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Mail Stop Code 43, Brooklyn, NY, 11203, USA

    Aimee Afable, Ming-Chin Yeh, Tushar Trivedi, Erin Andrews & Judith Wylie-Rosett

Authors
  1. Aimee Afable
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ming-Chin Yeh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Tushar Trivedi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Erin Andrews
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Judith Wylie-Rosett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aimee Afable.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Afable, A., Yeh, MC., Trivedi, T. et al. Duration of US Residence and Obesity Risk in NYC Chinese Immigrants. J Immigrant Minority Health 18, 624–635 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-015-0216-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-015-0216-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation