Comparison of physical activity as an obesity-related behavior between immigrants and native-born US adults

Abstract

Non-communicable diseases and chronic conditions such as obesity constitute significant public health issues in the United States (US) and globally. A major proximal determinant of obesity is physical activity, and related behavior. Limited data however exists comparing physical activity levels of US immigrants with those of native-born adults. This study aimed to compare US immigrants and native-born adults regarding associations of physical activity behavior and obesity. We analyzed data from the Health Information National Trends Survey. Outcomes of interest were various indicators of physical activity. Bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression models were utilized in describing demographics, weight distribution, and associations between variables of interest. A total of 3,185 individuals participated in the survey. Male to female ratio was 1.6 and 17% of the participants were immigrants. The mean age was 51 years (SD ± 15) for immigrants and 55 years (SD ± 16) for native-born respondents. Among immigrants, the racial distribution was 55.3% Hispanic, 18.9% Asian, 14.7% White, 9.9% Black, and 1.3% other races. Immigrants were less likely than non-immigrants to spend 6 h or more a day on sedentary leisure activities (adjusted OR = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.42-0.97; p = 0.0350). Also, immigrants were more likely than non-immigrants to engage in physical activity of at least moderate intensity, at least once a week (adjusted OR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.07-2.05; p = 0.0192). Compared to native-born adults, US immigrants appear to have healthier lifestyles regarding physical activity behavior. Strategies to sustain such tendencies among immigrants will promote health and reduce overall risks of obesity and other chronic diseases in the US. Researchers, practitioners and policy makers should develop targeted strategies and focus attention on keeping immigrants in the loop of positive health behavior, while encouraging US adults to engage in more physical activity. Further studies are needed to determine the effects of various socio-economic, demographic and cultural factors that impact proximal determinants of obesity.

Leading causes of death in Vietnamese Americans: An ecological study based on national death records from 2005–2020

“…While NHWs had significantly higher mortality across disease classes compared to VietAms, NHW mortality decreased for nearly every leading cause over the study period. Our data supports the possibility of the "Healthy Immigrant Effect" described in the literature; immigrants have overall better health, but this advantage attenuates with increased length of residency [21][22][23][24][25]. Previous studies proposed that the selectivity of the immigration process explains the overall better health of immigrants.…”

Inequities in routine preventive care utilization among persons with overweight/obesity in the United States: An analysis of nativity, racial and ethnic identity, and socioeconomic status

“…Evidence on the healthcare issues among immigrants with overweight/obesity, however, has been limited. Though few studies examined the prevalence of overweight/obesity and obesity-related behavior in the immigrant population [ [9] , [10] , [11] ], preventive healthcare utilization of immigrants with overweight/obesity in the United States, compared to their native-born counterparts is an area that is understudied.…”

The association between local area immigrant fraction and prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in the United States: an observational study

“…While immigrants have lower socioeconomic status than non-immigrants, they experience a lower prevalence of age-related diseases (such as atherosclerosis, stroke, diabetes, dementia, and osteoporosis) compared to non-immigrants. 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 This has been termed the “healthy immigrant effect”. This effect may be due to differences in health behaviors between immigrants and non-immigrants, including increased physical activity, reduced smoking, reduced alcohol intake, and healthier diet.…”