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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Ecological risk model of childhood obesity in Chinese immigrant children
Nan Zhou1, Charissa S L Cheah1
1Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21227, USA.
Insights
Overweight Chinese American children face unique health risks. This review identifies ecological factors contributing to childhood obesity in this understudied immigrant population, guiding future research.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Pediatrics
- Sociology
Background:
- Chinese Americans are the largest and fastest-growing Asian American subgroup.
- Nearly one-third of Chinese American children aged 6-11 are overweight, contradicting stereotypes.
- Overweight and obesity pose unique and severe health risks for individuals of Chinese descent.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify factors across ecological levels (micro, meso, exo, macro, chronosystem) contributing to overweight/obesity in Chinese immigrant children in the U.S.
- To propose mediating and moderating processes among these factors.
- To provide a framework for future interdisciplinary research on childhood obesity in this population.
Main Methods:
- Literature review guided by Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory.
- Identification of contextual factors influencing overweight/obesity risk.
- Analysis of mediating and moderating processes.
Main Results:
- Multiple ecological factors at individual, family, community, and societal levels may contribute to childhood overweight/obesity.
- Specific mediating and moderating processes were proposed within the ecological framework.
- Existing literature on childhood obesity has largely neglected Chinese immigrant children.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive ecological framework is needed to understand and address childhood obesity among Chinese immigrant children.
- Further interdisciplinary research is crucial to develop targeted interventions.
- Addressing this understudied population is vital for public health equity.
Abstract:
Chinese Americans are the largest and fastest growing Asian American subgroup, increasing about one-third during the 2000s. Despite the slender Asian stereotype, nearly one-third of 6-to-11 year old Chinese American children were found to be overweight (above the 85th percentile in BMI). Importantly, unique and severe health risks are associated with being overweight/obese in Chinese. Unfortunately, Chinese immigrant children have been neglected in the literature on obesity. This review aimed to identify factors at various levels of the ecological model that may place Chinese immigrant children at risk for being overweight/obese in the U.S. Key contextual factors at the micro-, meso-, exo-, macro- and chronosystem were identified guided by Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. The corresponding mediating and moderating processes among the factors were also reviewed and proposed. By presenting a conceptual framework and relevant research, this review can provide a basic framework for directing future interdisciplinary research in seeking solutions to childhood obesity within this understudied population.
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