School for Social Work, Smith College, Northampton MA, USA.
Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2008 Apr 6;5:19. doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-5-19.
Past research has suggested that changes in culture explain the substantial weight gain seen in many immigrant groups with length of residence in the U.S. and across generations of residence in the U.S. However, it has been theorized that those settling in immigrant and co-ethnic neighborhoods may be buffered against this acculturative process and will be more likely to maintain home country dietary and physical activity patterns. To investigate this theory we incorporated measures of neighborhood immigrant composition into analyses of individual's body mass index (BMI) and generation of immigration and duration of residence in the U.S.
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 (1/2) 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.
过去的研究表明，文化的变化可以解释许多移民群体在美国居住的时间长短和几代人在美国居住的时间长短所带来的体重显著增加。然而，有人认为，那些在移民和同族聚居区定居的人可能会免受这种文化适应过程的影响，更有可能保持自己国家的饮食和体育活动模式。为了验证这一理论，我们将邻里移民构成的测量指标纳入了对个人体重指数（BMI）、移民代际和在美国居住时间的分析中。
我们使用来自纽约市 13011 名居民的身高和体重的客观测量数据以及饮食和体育活动的调查数据，进行了多层次分析。人口普查数据被用来计算以主体家庭为中心的半英里辐射缓冲区内的外国出生居民的比例和家庭语言隔离的程度。
外国出生与 BMI 显著降低有关（-1.09 BMI 单位，P < 0.001）。这种关联在亚洲人（-0.66 BMI 单位，P = 0.08）中最弱，在黑人加勒比裔（-1.41 BMI 单位，P = 0.07）中最强。在控制了个体水平的变量后，邻里外国出生比例与 BMI 无关，但邻里语言隔离程度的增加与西班牙裔（-2.97 BMI 单位，P = 0.03）的 BMI 呈负相关。此外，在西班牙裔中，外国出生与 BMI 的关联在语言隔离程度较低的邻里（-1.36 BMI 单位，P < 0.0001）比在语言隔离程度较高的邻里（-0.42 BMI 单位，P = 0.79）更强。在美国居住时间的增加与整体 BMI 以及西班牙裔的 BMI 呈显著正相关。
分析表明，文化适应与体重增加有关，而邻里特征仅与西班牙裔的 BMI 有关。然而，我们认为，目前被解释为适应美国规范的后移民效应的体型变化，实际上可能反映了正在国际上发生的规范变化。
