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Ethnic-group socioeconomic status as an indicator of community-level disadvantage: A study of overweight/obesity in Asian American adolescents

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  • Cook, Won Kim
  • Tseng, Winston
  • Tam, Christina
  • John, Iyanrick
  • Lui, Camillia

Abstract

Asian American children and adolescents are an under-investigated subpopulation in obesity research. Informed by a wide socioeconomic diversity among Asian American ethnic groups, this study explored ethnic-group socioeconomic status (SES) as an indicator of community-level disadvantage that may influence overweight/obesity in Asian American adolescents. We hypothesized that ethnic-group SES was inversely associated with overweight/obesity in Asian American adolescents. Multiple logistic regression models were fitted using a sample of 1525 Asian American adolescents ages 12–17 from pooled 2007–2012 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) data. Age, gender, nativity, individual-level SES (income and education), and two lifestyle variables (fast food consumption and physical activity) were controlled for. We found that adolescents in high- or middle-level SES ethnic groups were far less likely to be overweight/obese than those in low-SES ethnic groups. Further, these relationships were more pronounced for foreign-born adolescents but not significant for U.S.-born adolescents. Ethnic-group SES may be a meaningful indicator of community-level socioeconomic disparities that influence the health of Asian Americans and, potentially, other populations with high proportions of immigrants of diverse socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds.

Suggested Citation

  • Cook, Won Kim & Tseng, Winston & Tam, Christina & John, Iyanrick & Lui, Camillia, 2017. "Ethnic-group socioeconomic status as an indicator of community-level disadvantage: A study of overweight/obesity in Asian American adolescents," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 15-22.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:184:y:2017:i:c:p:15-22
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.04.027
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