Racial/ethnic disparities in obesity among US-born and foreign-born adults by sex and education

Obesity (Silver Spring). 2010 Feb;18(2):422-4. doi: 10.1038/oby.2009.212. Epub 2009 Jul 9.

Abstract

This study examines sex and education variations in obesity among US- and foreign-born whites, blacks, and Hispanics utilizing 1997-2005 data from the National Health Interview Survey on 267,585 adults aged > or =18 years. After adjusting for various demographic, health, and socioeconomic factors via logistic regression, foreign-born black men had the lowest odds for obesity relative to US-born white men. The largest racial/ethnic disparity in obesity was between US-born black and white women. High educational attainment diminished the US-born black-white and Hispanic-white disparities among women, increased these disparities among men, and had minimal effect on foreign-born Hispanic-white disparities among women and men. Comprehension of these relationships is vital for conducting effective obesity research and interventions within an increasingly diverse United States.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Black or African American / education*
  • Educational Status
  • Emigrants and Immigrants / education*
  • Female
  • Health Status Disparities*
  • Health Surveys
  • Hispanic or Latino / education*
  • Humans
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Obesity / ethnology*
  • Obesity / etiology
  • Odds Ratio
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk Factors
  • Sex Factors
  • Time Factors
  • United States / epidemiology
  • White People / education*