Dataset Information

Growing up in Australia: paradox of overweight/obesity in children of immigrants from low-and-middle -income countries.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Children of immigrants from low-and-middle-income countries show excess overweight/obesity risk relative to host populations, possibly due to socioeconomic disadvantage. The present study was conducted to estimate overweight/obesity prevalence and its association with the family socioeconomic-position in 2-11-year-old Australian-born children of immigrants and Australian-mothers.

Methods

A cross-sectional analysis of 10-year data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children was undertaken. Overweight/obesity was defined according to the International Obesity Taskforce, age-and sex-specific BMI cut-off-points.

Results

Approximately 24% children aged 2-3 years (22% sons, and 25% daughters), were overweight/obese with no significant difference between children of immigrants and Australian-mothers. Overweight/obesity prevalence consistently increased with age for sons of mothers from low-and-middle-income countries but not daughters. Adjusting for the family socioeconomic-position did not explain excess overweight/obesity in children of mothers from low-and-middle-income countries. The odds of overweight/obesity in sons were significantly higher at 8-9 years (OR 1.5; p = 0.03) and 10-11 years (OR 1.5; p = 0.03) and in daughters at 4-5 years (OR 1.7; p = 0.002) when the mothers were from low-and-middle-income countries.

Conclusion

Excess weight in children of immigrants is not due to socioeconomic disadvantage alone. Other social processes and interactions between immigrants and host cultures may be involved.

SUBMITTER: Zulfiqar T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5893467 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Growing up in Australia: paradox of overweight/obesity in children of immigrants from low-and-middle -income countries.

Zulfiqar T T Strazdins L L Banwell C C Dinh H H D'Este C C

Obesity science & practice 20180228 2

<h4>Objective</h4>Children of immigrants from low-and-middle-income countries show excess overweight/obesity risk relative to host populations, possibly due to socioeconomic disadvantage. The present study was conducted to estimate overweight/obesity prevalence and its association with the family socioeconomic-position in 2-11-year-old Australian-born children of immigrants and Australian-mothers.<h4>Methods</h4>A cross-sectional analysis of 10-year data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian ...[more]

PMID: 29670755

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Dataset Information

Growing up in Australia: paradox of overweight/obesity in children of immigrants from low-and-middle -income countries.

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Growing up in Australia: paradox of overweight/obesity in children of immigrants from low-and-middle -income countries.

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