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 blac

SUBMITTER: Krueger PM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4545289 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature