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Comparative Study
. 2013 Aug;58(4):573-81.
doi: 10.1007/s00038-012-0414-5. Epub 2012 Oct 2.

Secular trends in the association between nativity/length of US residence with body mass index and waist circumference among Mexican-Americans, 1988-2008

Sandra S Albrecht  1 , Ana V Diez Roux, Allison E Aiello, Amy J Schulz, Ana F Abraido-Lanza
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Secular trends in the association between nativity/length of US residence with body mass index and waist circumference among Mexican-Americans, 1988-2008

Sandra S Albrecht et al. Int J Public Health. 2013 Aug.

Abstract

Objectives: We investigated whether associations between nativity/length of US residence and body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) varied over the past two decades.

Methods: Mexican-Americans aged 20-64 years from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) III (1988-1994), and NHANES (1999-2008). Sex-stratified multivariable linear regression models further adjusted for age, education, and NHANES period.

Results: We found no evidence of secular variation in the nativity/length of US residence gradient for men or women. Foreign-born Mexican-Americans, irrespective of residence length, had lower mean BMI and WC than their US-born counterparts. However among women, education modified secular trends in nativity differentials: notably, in less-educated women, nativity gradients widened over time due to alarming increases in BMI among the US-born and little increase in the foreign-born.

Conclusions: Associations between nativity/length of US residence and BMI/WC did not vary over this 20-year period, but we noted important modifications by education in women. Understanding these trends is important for identifying vulnerable subpopulations among Mexican-Americans and for the development of effective health promotion strategies in this fast-growing segment of the population.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Age-adjusted body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and obesity prevalence for Mexican-American foreign-born (FB) by length of US residence (<10 years, ≥10 years) and US-born (USB) men (a–c) and women (d–f) by National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) years. Estimates for whites presented for reference. Age-adjusted by the direct method to the year 2000 US Census population using age groups 20–34, 35–44, and 45–64. United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), 1988–2008
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Adjusted mean body mass index (BMI) by nativity/length of US residence among Mexican-American women by level of educational attainment across National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) years. USB US-born, FB foreign-born, HS high school. Model adjusted for nativity/length of US residence, age, age2, survey period, education, nativity/length of US residence × survey period, age × period, nativity/length of US residence × education, education × period, and nativity/length of US residence × education × period. Estimates shown were calculated to correspond to the mean age of the female sample (age 36). United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), 1988–2008
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