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Updated: May 24, 2026

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Generation of immigration and body mass index in Canadian youth
Elizabeth C Quon1, Jennifer J McGrath, Marie-Hélène Roy-Gagnon
1Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada. elizabethquon@gmail.com
Objective:
To investigate the role of acculturation, as measured by generational status, on body mass index (BMI) in a sample of Canadian youth.
Methods:
Population-based data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth were used. Participants were divided into 2 age ranges: children aged 6-11 years (n = 14,287) and adolescents aged 12-17 years (n = 12,155). Youth were classified into one of five generations of immigration: first-generation, second-generation, mixed-generation, third-generation, and Aboriginal. Parent- and self-report height and weight were used to calculate BMI Z-scores.
Results:
Generation of immigration was significantly related to BMI Z-score in both childhood and adolescence. First-generation immigrants had more weight gain compared to other groups during adolescence, but not during childhood.
Conclusions:
Acculturation, as measured by generation of immigration, is an important predictor of BMI in Canadian children and adolescents.
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