Body weight and length of residence in the US among Chinese Americans.
BACKGROUND
It has been shown that as immigrants' length of residence increases, so does their weight. However, little is known about factors associated with weight status among Chinese Americans, one of the fastest growing immigrant populations in the US.


METHODS
Baseline data from a National Cancer Institute-funded longitudinal study involving a multi-stage probability sample of Chinese Americans residing in two communities in New York City were collected.


RESULTS
Chinese Americans had a low BMI (mean = 22.81) and a lower proportion of obese individuals compared with other ethnic groups in the US reported in the literature. While the prevalence of being overweight (21%) and obese (2%) was low, length of residence was positively associated with weight status (P < 0.005).


CONCLUSIONS
Innovative strategies to help Chinese Americans maintain healthy weight status and to prevent them from becoming overweight and obese are needed.
Yeh
Ming-Chin
MC
Urban Public Health Program, School of Health Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, 425 East 25th Street, New York, NY 10010, USA. myeh@hunter.cuny.edu
Fahs
Marianne
M
Shelley
Donna
D
Yerneni
Rajeev
R
Parikh
Nina S
NS
Burton
Dee
D
D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult