Race/ethnicity, nativity and trends in BMI among U.S. adults

Abstract

Objective: The average BMI is rising even as the U.S. population grows increasingly diverse. Prior research by examining BMI trends in diverse groups including whites, blacks, Chinese, Filipinos, Asian Indians, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans who are U.S. born, recent immigrants, or long-term immigrants was extended.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from the 1989 to 2011 waves of the National Health Interview Survey (N = 989,273) have been pooled and linear regression models to examine trends in BMI among U.S. adults have been used.

Results: Annual increases in BMI are greatest among U.S.-born Puerto Ricans and Mexicans and slowest among foreign born Chinese. Among the U.S. born in 2011, Chinese adults have an average BMI below the threshold for overweight, whereas blacks, Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans have average BMIs in the obese range. Foreign-born adults average lower BMIs than U.S. born adults in most race/ethnic groups, and nativity disparities generally widen over time. BMI increases across calendar periods rather than birth cohorts.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that calendar period interventions may be particularly useful in reversing rising BMIs in the United States. However, interventions must be tailored to different race/ethnic and nativity groups in order to reduce disparities in body mass.

Figure 1

Predicted trends in body mass by race/ethnicity for adults aged 18 to 84 who are U.S. born (solid lines), foreign born and have lived in the U.S. for 15 or more years (dashed lines), and foreign born who have lived in the U.S. for less than 15 years (dotted lines), NHIS 1989–2011. Derived from Table 2, Panel A.