Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Aug 28;19(8):e0305395.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305395. eCollection 2024.

Differences in modifiable cancer risk behaviors by nativity (US-born v. Non-US-born) and length of time in the US

LaShae D Rolle  1 , Alexa Parra  2 , Amrit Baral  1   2 , Rolando F Trejos  3 , Maurice J Chery  1 , Reanna Clavon  4 , Tracy E Crane  1   4
Affiliations

Differences in modifiable cancer risk behaviors by nativity (US-born v. Non-US-born) and length of time in the US

LaShae D Rolle et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Previous studies have identified racial-ethnic disparities in modifiable risk factors for cancers. However, the impact of US nativity on these risks is understudied. Hence, we assessed the association between US nativity and length of time in the US on modifiable cancer risk factors. Utilizing the 2010 and 2015 National Health Interview Survey datasets, we analyzed 8,861 US-born and non-US-born adults. Key variables included age, sex, race-ethnicity, education, income, diet, body mass index, physical activity, alcohol consumption, and smoking. Statistical methods included descriptive statistics and regression. Most respondents were US-born (n = 7,370), followed by long-term (≥15 years, n = 928), and recent (<15 years, n = 563) immigrants. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was higher among US-born individuals (342.45 minutes/week), compared to recent (249.74 minutes/week) and long-term immigrants (255.19 minutes/week). Recent immigrants consumed more fruits (1.37 cups/day) and long-term immigrants more vegetables (1.78 cups/day) than US-born individuals. Multivariate analyses found recent immigrants had lower odds of consuming alcohol (AOR: 0.33, 95% CI: 0.21-0.50) and smoking (AOR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.19-0.46), and higher odds of meeting fruit consumption guidelines (AOR: 2.80, 95% CI: 1.76-4.45) compared to US-born individuals. Long-term immigrants had lower odds of alcohol consumption (AOR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.37-0.84) and smoking (AOR: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.30-0.59), and higher odds for meeting fruit (AOR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.22-2.86) and fiber (AOR: 2.03, 95% CI: 1.02-4.05) consumption guidelines. Our findings illustrate the importance of considering the impact nativity and length of US residency has on health. Our findings underscore the need for culturally tailored public health strategies.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Univariate (OR, 95% CI) and multivariate logistic regression models (AOR, 95% CI) for the association between US nativity/length of residence in US and non-adherence to American Cancer Society (ACS) diet and physical activity recommendations among respondents (N = 8,861, unweighted).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Begnaud A, Yang P, Robichaux C, Rubin N, Kratzke R, Melzer A, et al. Evidence That Established Lung Cancer Mortality Disparities in American Indians Are Not Due to Lung Cancer Genetic Testing and Targeted Therapy Disparities. Clin Lung Cancer 2020;21:e164–8. doi: 10.1016/j.cllc.2019.10.012 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chen Y, Criss SD, Watson TR, Eckel A, Palazzo L, Tramontano AC, et al. Cost and Utilization of Lung Cancer End-of-Life Care Among Racial-Ethnic Minority Groups in the United States. The Oncologist 2020;25:e120–9. doi: 10.1634/theoncologist.2019-0303 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Houston KA, Mitchell KA, King J, White A, Ryan BM. Histologic Lung Cancer Incidence Rates and Trends Vary by Race/Ethnicity and Residential County. J Thorac Oncol 2018;13:497–509. doi: 10.1016/j.jtho.2017.12.010 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Siegel RL, Miller KD, Wagle NS, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2023. CA Cancer J Clin 2023;73:17–48. doi: 10.3322/caac.21763 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hispanic or Latino People and Cancer. Cent Dis Control Prev 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/health-equity/groups/hispanic-latino.htm (accessed December 1, 2023).