Health behaviour among non-Western immigrants with Danish citizenship.
OBJECTIVE
To compare belief in own effort to stay healthy, health behaviour and body mass index (BMI) among non-Western immigrants with Danish citizenship and citizens with Danish background.


METHODS
Based on the National Health Interview Survey 2005, logistic regression analyses were used to examine differences in belief in own effort to stay healthy, in health behaviour and in BMI between 136 non-Western immigrants with Danish citizenship and 9,901 citizens with Danish background in the age group 25-64 years.


RESULTS
Non-Western immigrants had lower odds for reporting that own effort is very important to maintain good health (odds ratio (OR) 0.45; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.32-0.62) and for reporting consuming more alcohol on a weekly basis than recommended by the Danish National Board of Health (OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.09-0.51). The odds were higher for non-Western immigrants for than citizens with Danish background for reporting sedentary spare-time activities (OR 2.96, 95% CI 1.96-4.17), daily consumption of boiled vegetables (OR 2.50, 95% CI 1.77-3.53), and daily consumption of salad/raw vegetables (OR 2.84, 95% CI 2.02-3.99). We found no differences in daily smoking, daily fruit consumption, BMI> or =25 or BMI> or =30.


CONCLUSIONS
The non-Western immigrants are healthier in terms of alcohol and vegetable consumption and unhealthier with regard to leisure-time physical activity. The non-Western immigrants are less likely to report that their own effort is important in maintaining good health.
National Institute of Public Health, Copenhagen, Denmark. aha@niph.dh
Anne R
AR
Hansen
Ola
O
Ekholm
Mette
M
Kjøller
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000208:ethnology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003718:Denmark / Q000208:ethnology; D004032:Diet / Q000208:ethnology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology; D014675:Vegetables