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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: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.

Dataset Information

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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