Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among US Immigrants: Results of the 2003 New Immigrant Survey

This study estimates the prevalence patterns of overweight and obesity of new immigrants in the US. The 2003 New Immigrant Survey (NIS) was used to generate representative estimates of the prevalence of overweight and obesity among new immigrants overall and by place of origin subgroup. More than 45% of new immigrants are either overweight or obese. Overall, the higher prevalences of both overweight and obesity were found in Latin/Caribbean immigrants, older age group, those with longer years of US residence, and current residents of the West region. Men have a higher overweight prevalence and women have a slightly higher obesity prevalence. The overweight prevalence was higher for immigrants living above the poverty level, but there was not much difference in the obesity prevalence by poverty level. There was notable heterogeneity in overweight and obesity prevalences within and across place of origin groups by age, poverty level, years of US residence, and current resident regions. The study suggests further investigation on the determinants of weight status by place of origin and the importance of tailored interventions for each group.