Immigrant Health Inequalities in the United States: Use of Eight Major National Data Systems

Table 7

Obesity and overweight prevalence (weighted) among US children and adolescents aged 2–19 years (𝑁=16,717) and adults aged 20+ years (𝑁=18,391) by immigrant status: The 1999–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Nativity/immigrant status	Childhood; obesity prevalence		Childhood; overweight prevalence		Adult; obesity prevalence		Adult; overweight prevalence
	%	SE	%	SE	%	SE	%	SE
Total population	15.4	0.5	31.3	0.9	31.8	0.7	65.7	0.6
US-born	15.7	0.5	31.6	0.8	33.4	0.7	66.6	0.7
Foreign-born	12.2	1.1	24.9	1.5	22.9	1.0	60.9	1.1
Non-Hispanic white
US-born	13.5	0.8	29.5	1.2	31.1	0.7	64.8	0.8
Foreign-born	10.0	2.5	16.8	3.6	24.2	2.3	57.8	2.5
Non-Hispanic black
US-born	19.4	0.7	35.2	0.8	44.2	1.0	74.0	0.9
Foreign-born	13.8	2.4	24.3	2.8	21.9	2.5	61.4	2.1
Mexican American
US-born	21.9	1.0	38.3	1.2	40.2	1.7	73.5	2.0
Foreign-born	16.8	1.2	35.6	1.5	28.7	1.4	70.7	1.2
Other Hispanic
US-born	20.4	2.1	37.8	2.3	38.3	4.4	72.3	3.7
Foreign-born	12.2	3.2	26.9	4.5	26.8	1.9	70.8	2.6
All other ethnic groups
US-born	13.4	1.6	26.9	2.5	42.1	4.1	73.3	3.0
Foreign-born	4.9	2.2	12.8	3.7	6.5	1.7	35.2	2.6

Childhood overweight and obesity are defined as body mass index (BMI) at or above the gender- and age-specific 85th and 95th percentile cut-off points from the 2000 CDC growth charts, respectively, and age-specific 85th and 95th percentile cutoff points from the 2000 CDC growth charts, respectively. Adult overweight is defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥25 and obesity as BMI ≥30. Obesity and overweight prevalence in NHANES are based on measured height and weight data.