%0 Journal Article
%T Place of birth, duration of residence, neighborhood immigrant composition and body mass index in New York City
%A Yoosun Park
%A Kathryn M Neckerman
%A James Quinn
%A Christopher Weiss
%A Andrew Rundle
%J International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
%D 2008
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1479-5868-5-19
%X Multilevel analyses were performed using objectively measured height and weight and survey data on diet and physical activity from a sample of 13,011 residents of New York City. Census data were used to calculate the proportion of foreign-born residents and extent of household linguistic isolation in a £¿ mile radial buffer around the subject's home.Foreign birth was associated with a significantly lower BMI (-1.09 BMI units, P < 0.001). This association was weakest among Asians (-0.66 BMI units, P = 0.08) and strongest among Black-Caribbeans (-1.41 BMI units, P = 0.07). After controlling for individual level variables, neighborhood proportion foreign-born was not associated with BMI, but increasing neighborhood linguistic isolation was inversely associated with BMI among Hispanics (-2.97 BMI units, P = 0.03). Furthermore among Hispanics, the association between foreign birth and BMI was stronger in low linguistic isolation neighborhoods (-1.36 BMI units, P < 0.0001) as compared to in high linguistic isolation levels (-0.42 BMI units, P = 0.79). Increasing duration of residence in the U.S. was significantly associated with higher BMI overall and among Hispanics.The analyses suggest that acculturation is associated with weight gain, and that neighborhood characteristics are only associated with BMI among Hispanics. However, we suggest that changes in body size currently interpreted as post-migration effects of acculturation to U.S. norms may in fact reflect changes in norms that are taking place internationally.Although rates of overweight and obesity have risen for all population groups in the U.S., racial and ethnic minority populations, specifically Black Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans, face a particularly high risk of obesity and attendant health problems even when socioeconomic status is controlled [1-4]. At the most proximal level, an individual's weight is influenced by caloric intake and physical activity [5,6]. However, more distal factors includi
%U http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/5/1/19