Lifestyle risk factors for chronic disease by family origin among children in multiethnic, low-income, urban neighborhoods.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the prevalence of lifestyle risk factors (LRF) for chronic disease by family origin (FO) among children in multiethnic, low-income, urban neighborhoods.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional analysis.

SETTING

16 elementary schools located in disadvantaged, multiethnic neighborhoods in Montreal, Canada.

PARTICIPANTS

4659 schoolchildren aged 9-12 in grades 4-6.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Smoking, level of physical activity, dietary habits, body mass index, sedentary behavior.

METHODS

Subjects completed self-report questionnaires on sociodemographic characteristics and lifestyle behaviors; height and weight were measured in a standardized protocol. Fourteen FO groupings were identified based on language(s) spoken and countries of birth of both subjects and parents. We tested FO as an independent correlate of having 2 or more LRF, using the generalized estimating equations method.

RESULTS

Relative to Canadian children, a higher proportion of Haitian, Portuguese, and other Central American/Caribbean children had 2 or more LRF, the proportion was similar among Cambodian, Vietnamese, Chinese, South American, East European, Arabic, Italian, and South Asian children, and lower among Salvadorean children.

CONCLUSION

Prevention programs for youth should take differential distribution of LRF by ethnicity into account.