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Are Recent Immigrants Larger than Earlier Ones at Their Arrival? Cohort Variation in Initial BMI among US Immigrants, 1989–2011

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Abstract

Studies have reported that newly-arrived immigrants to the US often have better health outcomes, including lower body mass index (BMI) than established ones. This study tests the hypothesis about variation in initial BMI among immigrants who have come to the US during different time periods. Using 1989–2011 data from NHIS, we found that recent immigrants in general were larger at their time of arrival than the earlier ones. However, we also observed variations in initial BMI across racial and ethnic origin groups. For example, we found the trends for Hispanic and Asian immigrants to have increased during the study period. The average initial BMI for recent Hispanic immigrant cohorts surpassed the upper limit for normal weight. While earlier cohorts of Asian immigrants had much lower initial BMI than other immigrant groups, the estimated annual increase among Asians was the most rapid. Our findings support the observation about the rising body weight and obesity rates worldwide. The policy implications of our findings were also discussed.

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Notes

  1. 1. For country specific BMI rates, see http://www1.imperial.ac.uk/publichealth/departments/ebs/projects/eresh/majidezzati/healthmetrics/metabolicriskfactors/metabolic_risk_factor_maps/.

  2. Note that the overweight category includes obese individuals.

  3. While the Pearson correlation showed how strong BMI was associated with year of arrival, the regression coefficient for “year of arrival” helped us to quantify the annual increase in BMI across arrival cohorts. The R2 of Model 1 (0.0064 rounded to 0.01 in Table 2) was the same as the square of Pearson correlation coefficient reported in Fig. 1 (0.08 × 0.08 = 0.0064).

  4. In supplementary analysis, we controlled for other covariates and found similar interaction effects.

  5. Due to the high level of missing on income and poverty measures (missing 643 cases), income variable was not included in the main analysis. However, in sensitivity analysis, we considered income and poverty variables. We found that poverty status, but not income, was associated with higher BMI and the effect was marginally significant (p < .10).

  6. The log odds of being obese for non-Hispanic white immigrants who came to US in 1989 was -2.68 with an annual increase of 0.0026. After 21 years, the log odds of being obese for non-Hispanic white immigrants who came to US in 2010 was −2.625 (calculation: (−2.68) + 0.0026 × 21 = −2.625). The corresponding odds was 0.072 (calculation: e−2.625 = 0.072). The log odds of being obese for Asian immigrants who came to US in 1989 was −5.17 (calculation: −2.68 − 2.49 = −5.17) with an annual increase of 0.1226 (calculation: 0.0026 + 0.12 = 0.1226). After 21 years, the log odds of being obese for new Asian immigrants who came to US in 2010 was −2.595 (calculation: (−5.17) + 0.1226 × 21 = −2.595). The corresponding odds was 0.075 (calculation: e−2.595 = 0.075). The ratio between the two odds was 1.03 (calculation: 0.075/0.072 = 1.03) in 2010.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, University of Akron, Akron, OH, 44325-1905, USA

    Juan Xi, Baffour Takyi & Enoch Lamptey

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Correspondence to Juan Xi.

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Xi, J., Takyi, B. & Lamptey, E. Are Recent Immigrants Larger than Earlier Ones at Their Arrival? Cohort Variation in Initial BMI among US Immigrants, 1989–2011. J Immigrant Minority Health 17, 1854–1862 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-014-0129-1

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