The Impact of Ethnic-Immigrant Status and Obesity-Related Risk Factors on Behavioral Problems among US Children and Adolescents
Table 3
Selected sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics (%) of US children aged 6–17 years in 10 ethnic-immigrant groups: the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health (N = 62,804).
Characteristic
Hispanic children of
NH white children of
NH black children of
Asian children of
Other children
Immigrant parents
US-born parents
Immigrant parents
US-born parents
Immigrant parents
US-born parents
Immigrant parents
US-born parents
Immigrant parents
US-born parents1
Number in sample
3,189
3,836
2,518
40,810
460
5,821
894
504
634
4,138
Percentage of total US population
9.80
8.78
3.74
53.24
1.51
13.33
2.50
0.64
0.89
5.57
Two-parent households2
81.71
40.46
85.60
69.36
66.79
28.65
91.94
56.96
85.59
44.42
Single-mother households
5.44
38.74
2.51
14.39
10.20
46.97
2.65
31.20
1.97
27.91
Non-English speaking households
71.01
20.99
5.86
0.26
11.18
0.51
40.86
7.30
5.84
4.42
Unsafe neighborhood
24.60
19.39
6.78
6.91
19.29
26.01
15.27
8.97
12.13
15.28
Households below poverty level
39.58
27.26
6.41
8.38
12.96
32.49
9.29
5.73
6.71
18.45
Households with income at or above 400% of poverty level
8.60
20.01
48.59
38.02
28.42
14.02
51.00
46.80
47.59
27.34
Parental education ≥16 years
17.68
24.02
66.99
49.11
57.86
22.65
74.04
79.85
61.22
35.51
TV watching >2 hours/day
25.11
24.40
12.32
17.26
26.45
39.74
7.43
18.75
22.42
24.56
No physical activity
24.12
12.64
7.00
7.01
7.13
13.38
6.13
5.48
6.85
9.40
Lack of sports participation
60.32
52.55
31.34
34.57
34.49
51.44
36.08
30.15
37.34
40.95
Inadequate sleep <5 nights/week
9.86
12.49
10.44
14.07
11.84
15.78
13.30
11.46
11.76
12.78
Obesity prevalence3
28.11
27.34
11.88
16.61
17.52
32.90
12.35
12.74
10.04
23.80
Overweight prevalence4
45.21
42.19
27.50
31.06
35.56
48.21
23.68
28.71
31.04
41.69
Did not receive needed mental health treatment
49.68
40.74
42.40
33.75
22.45
44.54
54.44
52.90
23.24
27.23
All chi-square tests for the association between ethnic-immigrant status and each of the demographic characteristics were statistically significant at P < 0.01.
1Consists primarily of Hawaiian/Pacific Islander children, American Indian/Alaska Native children, mixed race children, and other children.
2Includes biological and adoptive parents. 3BMI ≥ 95th percentile. 4BMI ≥ 85th percentile. NH: non-Hispanic.
