title: Weight status of Mexican immigrant women: a comparison with women in Mexico and with US-born Mexican American women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We assessed the association between birthplace, residence, or years in the United States and actual weight (body mass index), perceived weight accuracy, or provider screens for overweight or obesity among Mexican immigrant women.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used linked data from Health and Nutrition Examination Survey waves 2001-2006 and 2006 National Mexican Health and Nutrition Survey to compare 513 immigrants with 9527 women in Mexico and 342 US-born Mexican American women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immigrants were more likely than women in Mexico to be obese and to perceive themselves as overweight or obese after adjustment for confounders. Recent immigrants had similar weight-related outcomes as women in Mexico. Immigrants were less likely to be obese than were US-born Mexican Americans. Within the overweight or obese population, reported provider screens were higher among immigrants than among women in Mexico, but lower than among US-born Mexican Americans. US residency of at least 5 years but less than 20 years and reporting insufficient provider screens elevated obesity risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Mexican-origin women in the United States and Mexico are at risk for overweight and obesity. We found no evidence of a "healthy immigrant" effect.
authors.affiliation: University of California Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA. sylviag@berkeley.edu
authors.forename: Sylvia D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Guendelman
authors.forename: Miranda L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ritterman-Weintraub
authors.forename: Lia C H
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Fernald
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaufer-Horwitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult