Disentangling the effects of racial and weight discrimination on body mass index and obesity among Asian Americans.
OBJECTIVE
We examined whether racial discrimination is associated with increased body mass index (BMI) and obesity among Asian Americans. Further, we explored whether this association strengthens with increasing time in the United States.


METHODS
We analyzed data from the 2002 to 2003 National Latino and Asian American Study (n=1956). Regression models tested whether reports of racial discrimination were associated with BMI and obesity, after accounting for weight discrimination, age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, generation, employment, health status, and social desirability bias (the tendency to seek approval by providing the most socially desirable response to a question).


RESULTS
We found that (1) racial discrimination was associated with increased BMI and obesity after we controlled for weight discrimination, social desirability bias, and other factors and (2) the association between racial discrimination and BMI strengthened with increasing time in the United States.


CONCLUSIONS
Racial discrimination may be an important factor related to weight gain among ethnic minorities.
Gee
Gilbert C
GC
Department of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, 650 Charles E. Young Dr S, Room 41-296A, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, USA. gilgee@ucla.edu
Ro
Annie
A
Gavin
Amelia
A
Takeuchi
David T
DT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011287:Prejudice; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D044469:Racial Groups; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology