Dataset Information

Association between environmental factors and BMI: evidence from recent immigrants from developing countries.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:To study the association between the surrounding local environmental factors and the body mass index of immigrants in the USA. METHODS:We use the New Immigrant Survey, to study the association of obesity prevalence in a region on body mass index. We consider local obesity rate as an outcome of the local environmental factors. Using ordinary least squares, three versions of equations are estimated to quantify the contribution of individual-level, acculturation, and environmental effects on immigrants' body mass index. RESULTS:We find statistically significant results for the correlation of local obesity rate and body mass index. For every 1% increase in the obesity rate, the body mass index levels increase by 0.182 kg/m2. Evidence also suggests dietary assimilation in immigrants is influenced by local environmental factors and that dietary change affects body mass index of female immigrants. CONCLUSIONS:Immigrants' body mass index increase with the increase in the local obesity rate of the region where they reside.

SUBMITTER: Katare B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6612128 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Association between environmental factors and BMI: evidence from recent immigrants from developing countries.

Katare Bhagyashree B Chakrovorty Sanchita S

Journal of health, population, and nutrition 20190705 1

<h4>Background</h4>To study the association between the surrounding local environmental factors and the body mass index of immigrants in the USA.<h4>Methods</h4>We use the New Immigrant Survey, to study the association of obesity prevalence in a region on body mass index. We consider local obesity rate as an outcome of the local environmental factors. Using ordinary least squares, three versions of equations are estimated to quantify the contribution of individual-level, acculturation, and envir ...[more]

PMID: 31277719

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Project description:BackgroundTo integrate immigrants into their societies, European countries have adopted different types of policies, which may influence health through both material and psychosocial determinants. Recent studies have suggested poorer health outcomes for immigrants living in countries with poorly rated integration policies.ObjectiveTo analyse mortality differences of immigrants from the same country of origin living in countries with distinct integration policy contexts.MethodsFrom the mortality dataset collected in the Migrant Ethnic Health Observatory (MEHO) project, we chose the Netherlands (linked data from 1996-2006), France (unlinked; 2005-2007) and Denmark (linked; 1992-2001) as representatives of the inclusive, assimilationist and exclusionist policy models, respectively, based on the Migrant Integration Policy Index. We calculated for each country sex- and age-standardized mortality rates for Turkish-, Moroccan- and local-born populations aged 20-69 years. Poisson regression was used to estimate the mortality rate ratios (MRRs) for cross-country and within-country comparisons. The analyses were further stratified by age group and cause of death.ResultsCompared with their peers in the Netherlands, Turkish-born immigrants had higher all-cause mortality in Denmark (MRR men 1.92; 95% CI 1.74-2.13 and women 2.11; 1.80-2.47) but lower in France (men 0.64; 0.59-0.69 and women 0.58; 0.51-0.67). A similar pattern emerged for Moroccan-born immigrants. The relative differences between immigrants and the local-born population were also largest in Denmark and lowest in France (e.g., Turkish-born men MRR 1.52; 95% CI 1.38-1.67 and 0.62; 0.58-0.66, respectively). These patterns were consistent across all age groups, and more marked for cardiovascular diseases.ConclusionsAlthough confounders and data comparability issues (e.g., French cross-sectional data) may affect the findings, this study suggests that different macro-level policy contexts may influence immigrants' mortality. Comparable mortality registration systems across Europe along with detailed socio-demographic information on immigrants may help to better assess this association.

Project description:BackgroundGreenness, referring to a measurement of the density of vegetated land (e.g., gardens, parks, grasslands), has been linked with many human health outcomes. However, the evidence on greenness exposure and human microbiota remains limited, inconclusive, drawn from specific regions, and based on only modest sample size.ObjectivesWe aimed to study the association between greenness exposure and human microbial diversity and composition in a large sample across 34 countries and regions.MethodsWe explored associations between residential greenness and human microbial alpha-diversity, composition, and genus abundance using data from 34 countries. Greenness exposure was assessed using the normalized difference vegetation index and the enhanced vegetation index mean values in the month before sampling. We used linear regression models to estimate the association between greenness and microbial alpha-diversity and tested the effect modification of age, sex, climate zone, and pet ownership of participants. Differences in microbial composition were tested by permutational multivariate analysis of variance based on Bray-Curtis distance and differential taxa were detected using the DESeq2 R package between two greenness exposure groups split by median values of greenness.ResultsWe found that higher greenness was significantly associated with greater richness levels in the palm and gut microbiota but decreased evenness in the gut microbiota. Pet ownership and climate zone modified some associations between greenness and alpha-diversity. Palm and gut microbial composition at the genus level also varied by greenness. Higher abundances of the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, and lower abundances of the genera Anaerotruncus and Streptococcus, were observed in people with higher greenness levels.DiscussionThese findings suggest that residential greenness was associated with microbial richness and composition in the human skin and gut samples, collected across different geographic contexts. Future studies may validate the observed associations and determine whether they correspond to improvements in human health. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12186.

Project description:BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:Although childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been previously associated with concurrent and later obesity in adulthood, the etiology of this association remains unclear. The objective of this study is to determine the shared genetic effects of ADHD symptoms and BMI in a large sample of sibling pairs, consider how these shared effects may vary over time, and examine potential sex differences. SUBJECT/METHODS:Sibling pair data were obtained from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health); childhood ADHD symptoms were reported retrospectively during young adulthood, while three prospective measurements of BMI were available from young adulthood to later adulthood. Cholesky decomposition models were fit to this data using Mx and maximum-likelihood estimation. The twin and sibling sample for these analyses included: 221 monozygotic (MZ) pairs (92 male-male, 139 female-female), 228 dizygotic (DZ) pairs (123 male-male, 105 female-female), 471 full-sibling (FS) pairs (289 male-male, 182 female-female), 106 male-female DZ twin pairs, and 234 male-female FS pairs. RESULTS:The magnitude of the association between childhood ADHD symptoms and BMI changed over time and by sex. The etiological relationship between childhood ADHD symptoms and the three prospective measurements of BMI differed for males and females, such that unique or non-shared environmental influences contributed to the relationship within males and genetic factors contributed to the relationship within females. Specifically, among females, genetic influences on childhood ADHD symptoms were partially shared with those effecting BMI and increased from adolescence to later adulthood (genetic correlation?=?0.20 (95% CI: 0.07-0.36) in adolescence and 0.24 (95% CI: 0.10, 0.41) in adulthood). CONCLUSION:Genetic influences on ADHD symptoms in childhood are partially shared with those effecting obesity. However, future research is needed to determine why this association is limited to females.

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Association between environmental factors and BMI: evidence from recent immigrants from developing countries.

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Association between environmental factors and BMI: evidence from recent immigrants from developing countries.

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