Ethnic-immigrant disparities in total and abdominal obesity in the US

To examine sex-specific disparities in total and abdominal obesity prevalence across 6 ethnic-immigrant groups and explore whether the observed differences were attributable to diet and physical activity (PA).

Data were from 4331 respondents age 18-64 from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Sex-specific multiple logistic regression analyses were performed.

Regardless of race-ethnicity, immigrants exhibited lower prevalence of total and abdominal obesity than natives. Among the US-born, Whites had the lowest total obesity prevalence followed by Hispanics and then Blacks; but racial-ethnic disparities for immigrants were different. In abdominal obesity, US-born white men had the highest prevalence. PA helped explain some ethnic-immigrant disparities.

Complex interactions of sex by race-ethnicity and nativity exist for obesity prevalence.