Citation
Albrecht, Sandra S. & Gordon-Larsen, Penny (2014). Socioeconomic Gradients in Body Mass Index (BMI) in US Immigrants during the Transition to Adulthood: Examining the Roles of Parental Education and Inter-generational Educational Mobility. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 68(9), 842-848. PMCID: PMC4133132Abstract
Background: Despite comparatively lower socioeconomic status (SES), immigrants tend to have lower body weight and weaker SES gradients relative to U.S.-born individuals. Yet, it is unknown how changes in SES over the life-course relate to body weight in immigrants versus US-born individuals.Methods: We used longitudinal data from a nationally- representative, diverse sample of 13701 adolescents followed into adulthood to investigate whether associations between SES mobility categories (educational attainment reported by individuals as adults and by their parents during adolescence) and body mass index (BMI) measured in adulthood varied by immigrant generation. Weighted multivariable linear regression models were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and immigrant generation.
Results: Among first generation immigrants, although parental education was not associated with adult BMI, an immigrant’s own education attainment was inversely associated with BMI (
URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech-2014-203814Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2014Journal Title
Journal of Epidemiology and Community HealthAuthor(s)
Albrecht, Sandra S.Gordon-Larsen, Penny