Immigration Status, Visa Types, and Body Weight Among New Immigrants in the United States.

PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between immigration-related factors and body mass index (BMI) among immigrants.

DESIGN: Secondary analyses of cross-sectional survey data.

SETTING: The New Immigrant Survey (NIS-2003) contains data from in-person or telephone interviews between May and November 2003, with a probability sample of immigrants granted legal permanent residency in the United States.

PARTICIPANTS: A total of 8573 US immigrants.

MEASURES: The NIS-2003 provided data on sociobehavioral domains, including migration history, education, employment, marital history, language, and health-related behaviors. The visa classifications are as follows: (1) family reunification, (2) employment, (3) diversity, (4) refugee, and (5) legalization.

ANALYSIS: Nested multivariable linear regression analysis was used to estimate the independent relationships between BMI and the variables of interest.

RESULTS: Overall, 32.6% of participants were overweight and 11.3% were obese (mean BMI = 25). Participants who were admitted to the United States with employment, refugee, or legalization visas compared with those who came with family reunion visas had a significantly higher BMI ( P < .001, P < .001, P < .01, respectively). Duration in the United States predicted BMI, with those immigrants in the United States longer having a higher BMI ( P < .001).

CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that immigrants who obtain particular visa categorizations and immigration status might have a higher risk of being overweight or obese. Immigrants need to be targeted along with the rest of the US population for weight management interventions.