IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v78y2013icp1-8.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The shape of things to come? Obesity prevalence among foreign-born vs. US-born Mexican youth in California

Author

Listed:
  • Buttenheim, Alison M.
  • Pebley, Anne R.
  • Hsih, Katie
  • Chung, Chang Y.
  • Goldman, Noreen

Abstract

Obesity among the Mexican-origin adult population in the US has been associated with longer stays in the US and with being US- vs. Mexican-born, two proxies for acculturation. This pattern is less clear for Mexican-origin children and young adults: recent evidence suggests that it may be reversed, with foreign-born Mexican youth in the US at higher risk of obesity than their US-born Mexican–American counterparts. The objective of this study is to evaluate the hypothesis that the immigrant advantage in obesity prevalence for Mexican-origin populations in the US does not hold for children and young adults. We use data from the Los Angeles Family and Neighborhood Survey (N = 1143) and the California Health Interview Survey (N = 25,487) for respondents ages 4–24 to calculate the odds of overweight/obesity by ethnicity and nativity. We find support for the hypothesis that overweight/obesity prevalence is not significantly lower for first-generation compared to second- and third-generation Mexican-origin youth. Significantly higher obesity prevalence among the first generation was observed for young adult males (ages 18–24) and adolescent females (ages 12–17). The previously-observed protective effect against obesity risk among recent adult immigrants does not hold for Mexican-origin youth.

Suggested Citation

  • Buttenheim, Alison M. & Pebley, Anne R. & Hsih, Katie & Chung, Chang Y. & Goldman, Noreen, 2013. "The shape of things to come? Obesity prevalence among foreign-born vs. US-born Mexican youth in California," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 1-8.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:78:y:2013:i:c:p:1-8
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.10.023
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953612007459
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2012.10.023?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Van Hook, Jennifer & Baker, Elizabeth & Altman, Claire E. & Frisco, Michelle L., 2012. "Canaries in a coalmine: Immigration and overweight among Mexican-origin children in the US and Mexico," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(2), pages 125-134.
    2. Abraído-Lanza, Ana F. & Chao, Maria T. & Flórez, Karen R., 2005. "Do healthy behaviors decline with greater acculturation?: Implications for the Latino mortality paradox," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(6), pages 1243-1255, September.
    3. Balistreri, K.S. & Van Hook, J., 2009. "Socioeconomic status and body mass index among hispanic children of immigrants and children of natives," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 99(12), pages 2238-2246.
    4. Creighton, Mathew J. & Goldman, Noreen & Pebley, Anne R. & Chung, Chang Y., 2012. "Durational and generational differences in Mexican immigrant obesity: Is acculturation the explanation?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(2), pages 300-310.
    5. Buttenheim, Alison & Goldman, Noreen & Pebley, Anne R. & Wong, Rebeca & Chung, Chang, 2010. "Do Mexican immigrants "import" social gradients in health to the US?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(7), pages 1268-1276, October.
    6. Goldman, N. & Kimbro, R.T. & Turra, C.M. & Pebley, A.R., 2006. "Socioeconomic gradients in health for White and Mexican-origin populations," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 96(12), pages 2186-2193.
    7. Rubalcava, L.N. & Teruel, G.M. & Thomas, D. & Goldman, N., 2008. "The healthy migrant effect: New findings from the Mexican Family Life Survey," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(1), pages 78-84.
    8. Franco Sassi, 2010. "Obesity and the Economics of Prevention," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 14244.
    9. Allen, M.L. & Elliott, M.N. & Morales, L.S. & Diamant, A.L. & Hambarsoomian, K. & Schuster, M.A., 2007. "Adolescent participation in preventive health behaviors, physical activity, and nutrition: Differences across immigrant generations for Asians and Latinos compared with whites," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 97(2), pages 337-343.
    10. Guendelman, S. & Abrams, B., 1995. "Dietary intake among Mexican-American women: Generational differences and a comparison with White non-Hispanic women," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 85(1), pages 20-25.
    11. Bates, L.M. & Acevedo-Garcia, D. & Alegría, M. & Krieger, N., 2008. "Immigration and generational trends in body mass index and obesity in the United States: Results of the National Latino and Asian American Survey, 2002-2003," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 98(1), pages 70-77.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Janevic, T. & Borrell, L.N. & Savitz, D.A. & Echeverria, S.E. & Rundle, A., 2014. "Ethnic enclaves and gestational diabetes among immigrant women in New York City," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 180-189.
    2. Michelle L. Frisco & Susana Quiros & Jennifer Hook, 2016. "One Size May Not Fit All: How Obesity Among Mexican-Origin Youth Varies by Generation, Gender, and Age," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(6), pages 2031-2043, December.
    3. Dondero, Molly & Van Hook, Jennifer, 2016. "Generational status, neighborhood context, and mother-child resemblance in dietary quality in Mexican-origin families," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 212-220.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Martin, Molly A. & Van Hook, Jennifer L. & Quiros, Susana, 2015. "Is socioeconomic incorporation associated with a healthier diet? Dietary patterns among Mexican-origin children in the United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 20-29.
    2. Sandra Albrecht & Ana Diez Roux & Allison Aiello & Amy Schulz & Ana Abraido-Lanza, 2013. "Secular trends in the association between nativity/length of US residence with body mass index and waist circumference among Mexican-Americans, 1988–2008," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 58(4), pages 573-581, August.
    3. Ljunge, Martin, 2016. "Migrants, health, and happiness: Evidence that health assessments travel with migrants and predict well-being," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 35-46.
    4. Hiram Beltrán-Sánchez & Alberto Palloni & Fernando Riosmena & Rebeca Wong, 2016. "SES Gradients Among Mexicans in the United States and in Mexico: A New Twist to the Hispanic Paradox?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(5), pages 1555-1581, October.
    5. Levchenko, Yuliana, 2021. "Aging into disadvantage: Disability crossover among Mexican immigrants in America," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 285(C).
    6. Buttenheim, Alison & Goldman, Noreen & Pebley, Anne R. & Wong, Rebeca & Chung, Chang, 2010. "Do Mexican immigrants "import" social gradients in health to the US?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(7), pages 1268-1276, October.
    7. Jennifer Van Hook & Susana Quiros & Michelle L. Frisco & Emnet Fikru, 2016. "It is Hard to Swim Upstream: Dietary Acculturation Among Mexican-Origin Children," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 35(2), pages 177-196, April.
    8. Stoddard, Pamela, 2009. "Risk of smoking initiation among Mexican immigrants before and after immigration to the United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(1), pages 94-100, July.
    9. Santosh Jatrana & Ken Richardson & Samba Siva Rao Pasupuleti, 2018. "The Effect of Nativity, Duration of Residence, and Age at Arrival on Obesity: Evidence from an Australian Longitudinal Study," VID Working Papers 1811, Vienna Institute of Demography (VID) of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna.
    10. Van Hook, Jennifer & Baker, Elizabeth & Altman, Claire E. & Frisco, Michelle L., 2012. "Canaries in a coalmine: Immigration and overweight among Mexican-origin children in the US and Mexico," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(2), pages 125-134.
    11. Christina J. Diaz & Liwen Zeng & Ana P. Martinez-Donate, 2018. "Investigating Health Selection Within Mexico and Across the US Border," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 37(2), pages 181-204, April.
    12. Acevedo-Garcia, Dolores & Sanchez-Vaznaugh, Emma V. & Viruell-Fuentes, Edna A. & Almeida, Joanna, 2012. "Integrating social epidemiology into immigrant health research: A cross-national framework," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(12), pages 2060-2068.
    13. Ro, Annie & Fleischer, Nancy, 2014. "Changes in health selection of obesity among Mexican immigrants: A binational examination," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 114-124.
    14. Noreen Goldman & Anne Pebley & Mathew Creighton & Graciela Teruel & Luis Rubalcava & Chang Chung, 2014. "The Consequences of Migration to the United States for Short-Term Changes in the Health of Mexican Immigrants," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 51(4), pages 1159-1173, August.
    15. Christina J. Diaz & Stephanie M. Koning & Ana P. Martinez-Donate, 2016. "Moving Beyond Salmon Bias: Mexican Return Migration and Health Selection," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(6), pages 2005-2030, December.
    16. Ilyana Kuziemko & Katherine Meckel & Maya Rossin-Slater, 2013. "Do Insurers Risk-Select Against Each Other? Evidence from Medicaid and Implications for Health Reform," NBER Working Papers 19198, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    17. Claire E. Altman & Jennifer Van Hook & Jonathan Gonzalez, 2017. "Becoming Overweight without Gaining a Pound: Weight Evaluations and the Social Integration of Mexicans in the United States," International Migration Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 51(1), pages 3-36, March.
    18. Osypuk, Theresa L. & Bates, Lisa M. & Acevedo-Garcia, Dolores, 2010. "Another Mexican birthweight paradox? The role of residential enclaves and neighborhood poverty in the birthweight of Mexican-origin infants," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(4), pages 550-560, February.
    19. Margot I. Jackson & Tate Kihara, 2019. "The Educational Gradient in Health Among Children in Immigrant Families," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 38(6), pages 869-897, December.
    20. repec:pri:crcwel:wp12-05-ff is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Michelle Frisco & Erin Baumgartner & Jennifer Van Hook, 2019. "The weight of school entry: Weight gain among Hispanic children of immigrants during the elementary school years," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 40(5), pages 95-120.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:78:y:2013:i:c:p:1-8. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.