Migration‐related influences on obesity among sub‐Saharan African migrant adolescents in Melbourne, Australia

Abstract

Aim:The aim of the present study was to examine migration-and socioeconomic-related influences on obesity among African migrant adolescents in Melbourne, Australia. Methods: Anthropometric data were collected from 99 parents and 100 adolescent offspring who also completed questionnaires eliciting demographic, socioeconomic and migration data. Multiple linear regressions were used to assess the relationship between migration-and socioeconomic-related factors and adolescent body mass index (BMI). Results: Only gender and parental BMI were associated with adolescent BMI after adjusting for adolescent age, adolescent gender, religion, parental BMI, parental education level and annual income. Boys (β = −1.45; P < 0.05) had lower BMI than girls. Parental and adolescent BMI were positively associated (β = 0.11; P < 0.05). In examining migration-related factors and adolescent BMI, after adjusting for gender and parental BMI, parental acculturation patterns and pre-migration life environment were associated with adolescent BMI, explaining, respectively, 6.5 and 4.0% of the variance in BMI. An integrated parental acculturation pattern was negatively associated with adolescent BMI (β = −0.17; P < 0.05) while adolescents whose parents came from rural areas had a higher BMI (β = 1.48; P < 0.05) than those whose parents came from urban areas. Adolescent acculturation patterns and length of stay in Australia were non-significantly associated with their BMI. Conclusions: Gender, pre-migration life environment and parental acculturation patterns seem to influence the prevalence of overweight and obesity among African migrant adolescents. Culturally competent obesity prevention programmes targeted towards African adolescents should consider these aspects in their design and delivery; however, further research is required to determine their relative contributions to African adolescent obesity in Australia.

What factors are associated with obesity‐related health behaviours among child refugees following resettlement in developed countries? A systematic review and synthesis of qualitative and quantitative evidence

“…A number of determinants were identified in this review, including parenting style, family functioning, family communication, and family type. Refugee parents reported poor family functioning and lack of discipline, which were associated with childhood obesity 56,77 . These findings support the literature, in which higher family functioning is associated with a more healthy BMI and active lifestyle among adolescents 92 .…”

“…Half focused exclusively on the perception of parents regarding the diet and physical activity of their children; the remainder obtained insights from refugee children themselves. Half of the studies focused their research questions on acculturation as the main factor influencing diet change 18,28,29,54,56,69,70–72,74,76 . Three studies focused on food insecurity, particularly in terms of eating patterns among refugee children 22,23,71 .…”

“…The included studies involved a diverse range of ethnicities; the majority focused on refugees originating from countries in three distinct regions: Southeast Asia (Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Hmong refugees), sub‐Saharan Africa (Sudan, Somalia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Djibouti Kenya, Tanzania, Eritrea, and Ethiopia), and Middle Eastern countries (Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq). Most of the studies were conducted in Australia 18,54–58,72–74 or the United States of Ameirca 22,23,25,28,29,59,60,69,70,71 . No study was conducted in the United Kingdom.…”

Does acculturation affect the dietary intakes and body weight status of children of immigrants in the U.S. and other developed countries? A systematic review

“…Renzaho et al (2008) suggested that integrated or marginalized children had a higher BMI, while keeping the traditions of the origin countries among children of immigrants was associated with a lower risk of obesity. However, Griffith et al (2014) suggested that parental integration was negatively associated with BMI, while adolescents’ acculturation patterns were not significantly associated with their BMI. Notably, the target population was different in these two studies: children were 3–12 years of age in Renzaho et al (2008), while adolescents were studied in Griffith et al (2014).…”

“…Of the three studies that used a standardized acculturation scale, Cheah and Van Hook (2012) used a modified parent version of the Chinese Children Acculturation Scale to measure the acculturation level of Chinese and Korean parents toward American culture. Griffith et al (2014) used the Acculturation, Habits, and Interests Multicultural Scale for Adolescents to measure the acculturation pattern of both adolescents and their parents. While the Chinese Children Acculturation Scale used by Cheah and Van Hock et al (2012) was unidimensional and focused more on acculturation toward the host country, the Acculturation, Habits, and Interests Multicultural Scale for Adolescents measured both the assimilation to the host country and the maintenance of traditional culture and was therefore considered a bi-dimensional scale.…”